In our short-lived attempt at writing songs together when we planned for an album we'd write waxing nostalgic about our childhoods, we had chosen that song as album art.

The cover of the Nourallah Brothers double disc reminds me of that picture sans the cowboy hats and desert backdrop. With that image in mind before playing the CD for the first time, I couldn't help but connect with the opening track "Those Days Are Gone." After all, that's the harsh reality of looking through photo albums, realizing that those days are gone. "I remember when we used to play soldiers by the apple tree."

While not all of the songs are nostalgic brotherly memories, I feel that the 29 tracks written by the Nourallah brothers over a nine year period beginning in 1990 are a testament to that bond brothers, especially ones close in age, form over the years. In it's a way, this album represents something I wished my brother and I could have done. As effortlessly as the Nourallah Brothers make it seem, I'm sure they would even attest personally the difficulty of a collaboration of this nature.

Faris and Salim aren't a band in the traditional sense. A duo of solo musicians is a more appropriate term as they both are carving out their own identities in the underground with solo careers. In 1998, the two decided to come together for this project and spent many nights tinkering around with an 8-track.

The result is a diverse catalogue of songs, many with significant memories attached. They play all the instruments - guitar, drums, keyboards, etc. Influences range from the '60s British Invasion to modern folk purveyors Jeff Tweedy and Elliot Smith. The range of style gives the album freshness as it progresses and shows that both brothers most likely have a pretty incredible record collection.

Like any double disc though, it's easy to get lost in all of the music and lose your place. The looseness of many of the recordings and the variety of styles can be taxing at times. Once you've settled into a particular mood or vocal style, it changes.

And that perhaps explains why Salim Nourallah and Faris Nourallah have decided to stand alone as solo artists. Each, as demonstrated on this collaboration, are more than capable of just that.

posted 12.01.04

-----
----- Matt Ralph has bags full of bad CD's. Add to his collection at matt@tangzine.com