Words By: Bre Offenberger

Southern California-based rock outfit Tombstones In Their Eyes have released their latest expressive album, Looking For a Light. The eight-track effort from the genre-defying quintet is a glimpse into the band’s relatable past year of darkness and solitude — with fuzz galore.

The opening track and lead single, “Quarantine Blues,” fortunately has a video that was dropped just days before the album. Blistering guitars swarm the air as the video opens to what looks like a ski lodge, snow lightly piling on the roof of the wooden building. Phoebe Hart’s stop motion animation quickly comes to life, pulling and pushing desk drawers and moving everything in sight. Frontman John Treanor emerges and cooks himself breakfast as he laments about living the same day over and over again throughout this past mundane year. His eggs and bacon turn themselves from a smiley to a frown, and he’s soon found lying on the ground, forcing himself to go to bed and sleep after enduring yet another boring day.

The next morning, he sits in a chair and spins around and around, riling himself up to leave his house and have a memorable day. While an extended guitar solo ensues, Treanor finds himself lost outside in the bright sun and hazy trees. He becomes so overwhelmed that he retreats back to his house, goes to bed and wakes up to start another uneventful day — but at least he’s comfortable this way.

“Ship on the Sea” kicks off with a guitar that shimmers so brightly it could’ve lit the way to happiness for Treanor in the “Quarantine Blues” video. That lasts for nearly a minute before it draws itself back so Treanor can put his ethereal lyrics to work. He uses the metaphor of ships to describe his deteriorating mindset, revealing there is no rescue ship to save him from sinking into its depths. The track fades out with a different guitar solo, its ringing putting the stamp on how he foresees the rest of his days going: always with barriers. The track is dreamy through and through.

“Wrong” starts with an eerie guitar line that most metal bands would die to get their hands on. Treanor gets right to it, acknowledging his mistakes to his partner — and how he knows he’s usually the one in the wrong. He knows he doesn’t deserve them, so he tells them how much they’ve changed him before setting him free from his chaos. Drums dot the edges of the guitar solo, furthering driving home just how sorry Treanor is. He sounds so sincere and infectious that  if you were his significant other, you’ll want to forgive him immediately.

Of the album, Treanor shares: “We are thrilled to get Looking For a Light released into the world! The album itself has been complete for about six months, so we’re dying to see how people responds when it finally hits the ‘streets.’ It’s so hard to sit on something that you really want people to hear. In one interview I did recently, the interviewer referred to this album as a ‘career defining record,’ which is high praise. We consider it our best work to date and are very proud of the record.”

The album blends so many genres seamlessly that it’s the perfect addition to every music lover’s catalogue. Thanks to production help from Paul Roessler — who has produced all their albums and has also worked with the likes of T.S.O.L., Josie Cotton and Richie Ramone — Tombstones In Their Eyes have expertly expanded their range while maintaining the sound that earned them streams in the first place.

Feature Image By: Rachel Roessler