Once upon a time a band named Richmond Fontaine were an awesome rock band that dabbled in twisted folk and alt-country. They never got as loud as they should have, eschewing rock for more storytelling as their career progressed. Today, Disguised as Birds takes up that mantle. There’s a bit of bastardized twang to their otherwise loud and hard rock and roll. Where many alt-country bands began abandoning the Replacements blueprint at the end of the ’90s, it was left to rust until now. Disguised as Birds aren’t ready to claim the neglected Excalibur from its stony perch but there’s an urgency and anger bubbling in the music as they destroy four songs on We Buy Gold. There are moments however were the Milwaukee foursome hint at being more than this sampler of rock. The title track is a bit more wistful if the lyrics are still a bit obtuse about hard living. Disguised as Birds have some musical exploration to do and so long as they stay away from the heavier arena/debauchery rock of the late ’90s in favor of more storytelling heroes of yore, DaB will be worth a dip back into the rock and roll gene pool.
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