While his name might seem like a mouthful, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald's songs have a sincere simplicity about them and an endearing optimism that doesn't drown you in saccharin.

The kind of music that when you listen to, you get that goofy smile on your face — and you're not embarrassed by it.

His latest, the mbf love LP, reflects his rather positive outlook on life.

“I try to have fun, so I think it comes through in the music,” said Fitzgerald, on the phone from Edmonton.

Naturally, Fitzgerald writes a lot on love, “love lost, love in all its forms,” he said, which means some tunes with a little more edge to them.

His live shows can range from elaborate — to celebrate his latest album, he created the “Love and Manners” show, which featured 120 local Calgary dancers, musicians and singers — to the intimate. For his upcoming London show, it'll mainly be the audience and MBF, accompanied by a guitar and loop pedal.

He said he'd like it “if we can get a few more Londonites to get that goofy smile.”

The self-professed “student of love” shouldn't have any trouble — particularly if he lets people see that soft side.

“I don't want to live the same thing twice,” he said about relationships. “I'm working towards some sort of fairytale.”

Cue swooning.

Michael Bernard Fitzgerald will be at Call the Office on September 24, opening for Hey Ocean. For show information, contact Call the Office at (519) 432-BAND. For more information on Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, visit www.michaelbernardfitzgerald.com