With just a few weeks left of 2025, US deep psych/shoegaze band Tombstones In Their Eyes released not only one of the best albums of the year, but one of the best of their career. Some of the material felt a little bit samey if heard in one sitting, but the band’s command of a riff and ability to weave a great atmosphere allowed the material on ‘Under Dark Skies’ to work brilliantly when approached in the right mood.
Moving into 2026, Tombstones continued to promote the album with the help of the Beatle-esque ‘You Never Have To Love Me’, shared as a digital single. Very much a highlight of ‘Under Dark Skies’, the track’s late 60s vibes come through very strongly at first, and from first listen, a subtle blend of acoustic guitar and filtered voice on the opening verse helps it to sound like the kind of track you’ve always known. As the melody and volume builds, the Beatles influence quickly subsides, and the much darker psychedelic tones – in keeping with a more traditional Tombstones sound –take the helm. This sounds equally cool in a different way. The way guitarist Paul Boutin weaves shoegaze-ish lead guitar tones around John Treanor’s heavily affected vocal performance – very much a product of the studio – creates a huge sound, one that very slowly draws the listener into an uneasy world. Despite the tempo never really shifting throughout the performance, this slightly dense sounding yet very trippy workout never outstays its welcome, and although the end product feels more indebted to mood than obvious hooks, it eventually buries itself into the listener’s memory.
For a little extra impact, ‘You Never Have To Love Me’ has been coupled with the non-album number ‘Everybody’s Dead’ to create a very cool double shot of deep psych. ‘Everybody’s Dead’ advertises a darker side of the Tombstones sound with immediate effect when pulsing reverb sounds create a layer of noise, before a deep, droning guitar sets up a dense backdrop. This is a bit of a red herring, however: once the main melody emerges, this b-side soon finds its feet as one of the more accessible tunes within the Tombstones’ catalogue.
A mid tempo riff and steady beat set a heavy indie vibe in place, almost playing like a semi-gothic take on old Ride tunes, and as things progress, its relatively simple approach feels even more effective. Against the wall of guitar effects, a second guitar adds a very melodic lead, where the deep, soaring notes bring an almost cinematic feel to the track. Linking everything, John’s vocal adds even more of a traditional Tombstones feel, lurking beneath a wealth of studio-based trickery, almost appearing to add to the musical layers as opposed to bringing a huge hook, but when heard together, this all works brilliantly.
Although neither of these tunes utilise the strong bluesy lead guitar sound that can be found on the album’s brilliant title cut, in many ways, they advertise most of Tombstones In Their Eyes’ best musical traits, creating a short and impactful listen that’s pretty much ideal for anyone who might be unfamiliar with the band. For the fan, the promise of a new track will be enough to guarantee an addition to their digital collection, of course, making this a win-win for everyone.
February 2026