The Disco Biscuits

With a new drummer on the bus, the Disco Biscuits are finally fueling up for their second leg, but not before taking one last look through the scrapbook on The Wind at Four to Fly. Recorded during what were then to be former drummer Sam Altman’s final shows, this double-live set buries the past in a time capsule and looks to a changed future.

Though rightfully credited as the driving influence behind jamnation’s electro-groove makeover, the early Biscuits’ material flies its phreak phlag proudly on disc two. The goofy, stutter-step shimmy of “Pat and Dex” is more riff-oriented than the band’s recent work, and the genre mush of “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line” and long, bassy intro to “Basis for a Day” wear their Phish influences on their sleeves before heading to the club with a pocket full of glowsticks and a head full of powerful pills.

Altman shines on “Voices Insane,” fueling Marc Brownstein’s menacing low-end and propelling guitarist John Gutwilling through a steep climb before exploding into the present. While the Biscuits still struggle to carry a tune, they’ve learned to let their voices hang out, for better or worse. The aimless wandering on “Caterpillar” doesn’t help the ear-splitting vocals, but Brownstein and keyboardist Aaron Magner’s struggles add an eeriness to “Voices,” and Gutwillig has learned that a little emotional urgency can make up for technical shortcomings.

Guitar licks float and bubble above the pop sweetness of “Story of the World,” and the jammiest band shows a newfound restraint on “World is Spinning.” And though Gutwillig hooks the ear, it’s the Biscuits’ rhythm section that defines them. The Wind at Four to Fly has its soft spots, and it honors Altman’s contribution to a journey that has been, while at times bumpy, always daring.

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