Zilch is a band that no one seemed to know what to do with. Starting out as part of the backing band for dc talk, it’s telling that they were talented enough for Toby McKeehan to recommended they form their own band. So, vocalist/guitarist Mark Lee Townsend, vocalist/bassist Otto Price, keyboard player/vocalist Jason Halbert, and drummer Rick May started jamming together in a studio. Initially Townsend intended for them to just play songs written by other people but the chemistry they already possessed from touring together, and then playing together in a studio, made original material inevitable.
The songs they ended up recording on their first (and so far only) album “Platinum” are best described by adjectives. Quirky 90’s retro rock come to mind. As does alternative surfer geek rock à la Weezer but with hip hop influences. Whatever you want to call it, this band is 90% vibe, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The music is easily the highlight of the album with surf friendly guitar riffs blending beautifully with blippity bloopy synths and organ. The drums and the bass do a great job anchoring the songs rather they be smooth and chill or upbeat and power pop. There is also a surprising amount of vocal harmonization on this album with all three vocalists taking turns on lead but Mark Lee Townsend’s vocals usually leading on the chorus at the minimum. Mark Lee Townsend has a unique voice that easily carries laid back yet still energetic songs like “Good” and “Surfer Psalm”, the two bookends that tell you everything you honestly need to know about this album, a windows down ride to the beach with Sunday school friendly lyrics. That’s not to say the band never gets serious with songs like “Christiana” (which I think is a play on the word suburbia) and “Bap!” (which sounds like it could have fit nicely on dc talks Jesus Freak) hitting on the more serious topics of apathy towards the rest of the world outside of your Christian bubble and the harm of gossip and unforgiveness. With that said I appreciate that the band overall doesn’t take themselves too seriously with their cover of School House Rock’s “Hero Zero” and it’s follow up “A Brief Note To The General Public” showing off their great sense of humor, with the latter being a great monologue that tears apart in the best way possible those moral guardians (especially in the 80’s and 90’s) who dissect every lyric and guitar tone looking for something that’s corrupting their children rather than just taking things in the spirit intended. Zilch seemed to fall apart as soon as they formed with drummer Rick May only being listed in the album credits and not as a formal member of the band (presumably he didn’t want the additional touring on top of playing for dc talk), and Mark Townsend stepping down only a year after this album was released. Seven Day Jesus guitarist Dwayne Larring and drummer Aaron Blanton along with vocalist Jeff Deyo stepped in to take their place and, in the process, along with Jason Halbert, morphed into the band Sonicflood with Otto Price stepping down after playing on and helping produce their debut album. Sonicflood went on to have their own storied history full of twists and turns, but the band Zilch remained just a footnote, an enigma on the history of what could have been. Mark Townsend has gone on to release at least two songs under the Zilch moniker since (though it’s unclear if any of the other band members were involved), and rumors have a circulated about a possible new album, but for the time being we have this lone gem. Suggest Tracks: Good Christiana Bap! Surfer Psalm
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