| WEST034 | Salim Nourallah - Beautiful Noise

In the year 2000, the first Nourallah Brothers CD was released on Western Vinyl. The album emerged as the brothers’ relationship faltered. Although the album was well received, the brothers decided to pursue solo careers rather than continuing to collaborate.  This proved to be the genesis of a new Nourallah solo sound, which resulting in Salim’s A Way To Your Heart (ep) and his stunning solo debut Polaroid, both released in 2004.

 

Since the year 2000, Salim Nourallah’s music has consistently received critical accolades, the most recent being the inclusion of his first solo release, Polaroid, in The Dallas Observer’s Top Five Albums of 2004.  Additionally, the double disc reissue of Nourallah Brothers (2004) has been lauded by KCRW’s Eric J. Lawrence, as one of the top ten cds in the last decade.  The disc debuted on KCRW in their top 30, and was the only small label release to make that illustrious list. This praise heads a long list of critical and popular appreciation from publications such as Time Out New York, Amplifier, Salon.com and rollingstone.com. The public’s appreciation for his work was clear when Nourallah played SXSW 2004 to a packed club, for his professional debut of Polaroid.

 

Salim’s focus for the last half of 2004 was creating and recording his sophomore release, Beautiful Noise. This pensive, skillfully crafted collection reveals Salim brooding on themes of mortality, aging, lost love and, refreshingly, hope as an antidote to despair.  His keen pop sensibilities shine through in songs such as “Montreal”, a McCartney-esque anthem to the joys of coupledom and “The World Is Full of People (Who Want to Hurt You)” a ballad filled with fatherly worries and love.  On Beautiful Noise Salim connects with his listners with emotional and engaging songwriting, comparable to the Beatles, Elvis Costello, Wilco, Big Star, or Beck.