There’s nothing like an excellent band with incredible chemistry, and Effie Zilch have that in spades. Lead by Steve Wyreman and Evanne Barcenas, teenage friends who have been playing together for years, the band’s confidence and skill have the power to transmute joy into music. The pair have many accomplishments in their own right — Wyreman toured and played for Leon Bridges, and Barcenas has sung with Richard Ashcroft. They both play in Miko Marks’ band, who joins them on “Room For Us All.” Trinity Vol. 2 is a masterclass in what an excellent band can do with the best traditions in American music.
We begin our journey with “Holy River,” which turns a calm summer’s night into a Zen metaphor of life. The intimacy of Barcenas’ vocals encourages us to feel the humidity on our skin and smell the moisture coming off the river. Marks adds texture to the band’s smoothly polished grooves on “Room For Us All,” a self-assured explosion of country gospel.
It’s not all relentless positivity, though. “Ship Has Sailed” boasts a bass line that would make James Jamerson blush. The song is a Motown-style kiss-off seemingly at odds with the album’s California shimmer. But with the band’s trademark sunniness, the song seems to document a difficult moment in a relationship without rancor — things happen, people drift away, and it’s just part of life.
“Rhododendron” displays the band’s more contemplative side. With a lyrics-first focus, the song invites us to make time to truly take stock of our lives, what is important, and let it all “sink in” and “learn to live.” Wyreman’s lilting acoustic picking give the song the backbone it needs to deliver the message. In spite of all the life we’ve lived over the past few years of pandemic, Effie Zilch are here to remind us to party — and savor itl