The Meat Purveyors

All Relationships Are Doomed to Fail (Bloodshot)

By Kim Newman
Published: June 18th, 2002 | 10:20am

This year the Grammys proclaimed bluegrass America's hippest sound. For a taste of some fine, fiery, ol' fashioned roots music, get the Meat Purveyors' latest: you'll be en vogue and you'll have some bad-ass, boot-stomping, finger-pickin' music. All Relationships Are Doomed to Fail, the Austin quartet's third release, is a bold declaration about love turned sour and emotional havoc, but what else do you expect from a country (albeit insurgent country) band?

With a spirited mix of mandolins, fiddles, guitars, and real purty harmonies, TMP include some choice covers with their wry lyrical originals (try "I Have a Devil in Me" and "Thinking about Drinking"). Only the most well-versed bluegrass aficionado would spot Ralph Stanley's "Love Me Darling." TMP can even turn an ABBA tune into a traditional square dance, but better yet is a cover of that lost '80s hair-metal gem "Round and Round" by Ratt. With songs about spousal abuse and being treated like a circus clown, the Meat Purveyors are not Faith Hill, and that's a good thing.

www.bloodshotrecords.com