With producer Dave Alvin's help, Alameda County Line is as traditional as a beef-packing plant. The band's original songs range from the '60s-country-radio-ready "Memory of Your Smile" to the dying car ballad "Under the Wrench" to bassist Jill Scott's folky "Sweet Song" and guitarist Scott Young's comical "Lolita," about a guy who can hook up only with women named Lolita because he branded the name of the first Lolita on his arm. By the time the band dusts off Harlan Howard and Tompall Glaser's "Streets of Baltimore" for a live encore track, Red Meat has erased any doubt that a group that hails from the city of delectables and fine wine can produce music that's far from dainty.
