New Wax Wednesday

As much as I love listening to my well-kept vintage LPs, new albums from artists I’ve long cherished, and/or high-end upgraded reissues on wax, I also like coming across those special vinyl gems comprised of music I’ve had limited exposure to previously and/or never even heard at all. To that latter point, last week in this column, I had the most excellent good fortune of discovering Dawn Drake & ZapOte’s amazing, self-released, 2025-pressed Nightshade LP (which you can read more about here).

This week, I’m cueing up a newly released 2LP set in order to revisit music from an acclaimed indie artist, via an album that I had only heard on CD (and digitally) before getting this analog upgrade. The ostensibly self-titled album, Nourallah Brothers, is a sprawling, expanded 26-track collaboration initially released with 10 fewer tracks in 2001, and it’s the brainchild of Texas-based indie artist and jack of many aural trades Salim Nourallah, along with key contributions from his brother Faris Nourallah.

Now, I’ve known Salim’s aces-high singer/songwriter-oriented work for years — both as a passion-centric solo artist and producer for the likes of Old 97’s, Rhett Miller, Buttercup, and Smile Smile — and, I’m happy to say, he’s as much of a diehard vinyl fanatic as we are. In fact, Salim takes it upon himself to make sure the music he’s been releasing of late also gets a concurrent vinyl release, so albums of his like 2018’s starkly confessional 2LP set Somewhere South of Sane on his own, then-named Palo Santo label get their proper airing on wax — just as they should.

In fact, when we discussed the making of that album back on March 14, 2018, Salim told me why he felt that Somewhere South of Sane (PSTX-013LP; cover shown above) was the first true “record” he’d ever made. “In my head, I’ve been making records since I first started, but this is the first one I’ve made with the vinyl format in mind — and it really colored the way I did it,” Nourallah explained. “South of Sane would not have existed the way that it does as a CD. Now that we’ve circled back to vinyl, there’s just no room for lack of quality control or to lower the creative bar ever again. If you’re going to make a record, your sides all better be pretty good, and pretty consistent. And I thought a lot about sides here. For example, Side 4 is where things really get messed up,” he says with a chuckle, “and I really enjoyed using just one side as a platform for doing that. That completely had to do with making a record, and not making a CD.”

Fast-forward that analog-centric M.O. to the here and now, where Salim’s most recent passion project has been to resuscitate his above-noted 2001 collaboration with his brother Faris, Nourallah Brothers, by bringing it to new life on vinyl. The limited-edition 2LP set (capped at 200 copies) was released on his now-renamed Happiness label on June 1, 2025. To get a taste of what’s in store for you on Nourallah Brothers, check out “We Listened to the Radio” below via its official YouTube clip, and you’ll get a sense of just how special this familial musical connection is — and also how much you’ll likely relate to the song’s narrative, whether you have siblings of your own or not. This touching, looking-back track appears as LP2, Side D, Track 1. (The balance of the recordings on Side D were unearthed by Salim in late 2024.)

Nourallah Brothers (NB-001) comes in a double gatefold slathered with scores of rare photos of the brothers in their much younger days and of-era newspaper clippings, plus a pair of 11 x 11in inserts (one per LP sleeve) emblazoned with a reprint of an in-depth 2005 story from the Dallas Observer of the brothers’ admittedly complicated relationship spread across all four of its sides. The text appears in white type printed over a black background, plus a number of “then kids, now adults” photos of the two bros to boot. (Some of those pics will appear throughout this story.)

After hearing all four sides of the expanded Nourallah Brothers album on vinyl, I can now better appreciate the atmospherics and dynamics of the core 16 tracks that first appeared on CD, plus the intimate vibes of the 10 tracks added to the 2LPs’ full running order. Both deep-black LPs were flat and well-centered, though LP1 did fit a bit more snugly on my spindle than LP2 did — ultimately, however, that was a “no harm, no foul” kind of fitting, as there were no playback issues. Also, Salim did the proper customer-oriented QC by making sure both discs in the package come in plastic-lined inner sleeves. The music was mastered by Rip Rowan and James Driscoll, and the LPs were cut at GZ in the Czech Republic, via DMM.

Right out of the sleeve, “Those Days Are Gone” (LP1, Side A, Track 1) sets the tone with smoky keys wafting behind the lead vocals, panned guitars that establish a wide soundfield, and understated, reflective vocals. Salim utilizes stereo separation quite adeptly all throughout this collection — not surprising, really, given the nature of one of his all-time favorite albums (more on that to come in the Q&A section that follows). Both the acoustified, vocally harmonized “Public Skool” (LP1, Side A, Track 4) and “Christmastime” (LP1, Side B, Track 1) might put you in the mind of Ray and Dave Davies’ vocal-character blend, while the sprightly, dreamy nature of “Get Up and Get Out” (LP2, Side C, Track 2) — captured on a 16-track Yamaha recorder, per Salim’s own liners — is nicely countered by the Byrds-like guitar jangle that permeates the following track, the rightly titled “In Another Time.”

Interestingly, certain musical elements were separated and vocals were isolated from the original mixes on that song (and four others), in addition to being partially remixed, by using AI technology. “This miraculous technology also allowed me to sing with my brother for the first time in 25 years,” Salim concedes in the liners. In this case, I’m cool with that ever-changing tech’s application here since the process resulted in actual instances of AI being used for something, well, quite good.

Incidentally, the balance of the music on Sides A and B was recorded on an 8-track MiniDisc recorder that, quote, “sat in the corner of a converted garage on Vickery Boulevard in East Dallas [and] recorded with no isolation whatsoever, which is anathema to almost anyone attempting to record music,” again per Salim’s liners. Regardless of said “anathemic nature” (to coin a phrase) attributed to the music the brothers laid down in that garage, the clarity in what I’m hearing on those two sides once again shows how digital bias is often unwarranted and, frankly, unnecessary to invoke while listening to modern LP playback.

The SRP for the Nourallah Brothers 2LP set is $48, and you can get your own copy of it exclusively from the Nourallah Brothers/PSR Music Group Bandcamp page right here, once you scroll down past the digital and CD options. Ratings-wise, I give the Music a 9 overall, and the Sound an 8.5. Nourallah Brothers is another clear reminder of how thoughtful, personal, well-played, and well-recorded music sounds better on vinyl, hands down.

To find out directly how Salim worked his analog-inclined magic in getting Nourallah Brothers on double vinyl, he and I did the Q&A thing together to suss out all the details.

Mike Mettler: Salim, you already know how much I love listening to, and essentially rediscovering, Nourallah Brothers on vinyl. Did you listen to any test pressings before putting it out? Did you have any technical notes or adjustments before you did so?
Salim Nourallah: Thanks, Mike! We listened a lot to the test pressings, and thought they sounded great. There were no adjustments that needed to be made.

Mettler: Always good to hear you were able to get what you wanted. What turntable and other gear are in your current playback system?
Nourallah: I own multiple turntables right now. I have a 1957 RCA console in my living room, and a Technics SL-1200MK5 [turntable] that I run through a Dynaco tube preamp in my bedroom. I’ve also got two turntables over at my recording studio space.

Mettler: Do you recall what vintage turntables you had and listened to while you were growing up?
Nourallah: As kids, I remember our mom having a large console with a turntable, but I have no idea what brand or model it was.

Mettler: We had one of those too, but I don’t remember the name of it offhand either. Come to think of it, though, I do still have the floating turntable and either the receiver or the amp from that console somewhere in storage, so I’ll have to check on who made them at some point. Anyway, back to the wax talk! Why is vinyl so important to you — both as an artist/musician, and as a fan of music in general?
Nourallah: I think vinyl provides, by far, the most enjoyable listening experience. It invites the listener to actually take the time to have an experience, like a good book does. It’s also by far the most aesthetically pleasing way to experience music. There’s nothing like holding a record with cool artwork in your hands and poring over the liner notes.

Mettler: I could not agree more. What are some of your favorite LPs?
Nourallah: One of my favorite records — not only because of the music, but also because of the packaging — is The Beatles’ White Album [a.k.a. The Beatles, a masterstroke 2LP set originally released on Apple in November 1968]. Inside the stark outer sleeve was a gatefold with portrait photos of each Beatle, and a poster with a wild collage of photos that really conveyed a sense of who they were at the time. The art for this album definitely shaped my expectations on what I want from a record.

Mettler: Such a good point, since that White Album packaging also reflected the care The Beatles put into every sound on those four sides. What was the first record you bought with your own money, and why did it speak to you then — and perhaps even now?
Nourallah: I don’t remember the first one I bought with my own money, but an early purchase was The Comsat Angels’ Enz., which I found at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso [in Texas]. It was a Dutch import of a British band I’d not yet heard of. I was drawn in by a great black-and-white photo of the band, and the song-by-song liner notes on the back of the sleeve. All these years later, I’m still a fan of doing that kind of thing with my own releases. I also still prefer black-and-white photography. [Enz. was released on Polydor in the Netherlands in 1983.]

Mettler: Is it fair to say you and your brother bonded over listening to music together before performing it?
Nourallah: Absolutely. We were fans before we ever started down the road of playing music together.

Mettler: Did you guys share records growing up, or no?
Nourallah: Yes. I ended up avidly collecting records and spent a lot more time and money tracking down music I wanted, but my brother would bring home the occasional record that we’d both end up liking. I think The Chameleons’ Script of the Bridge was one of those. [The Script of the Bridge LP was released by Statik/Virgin in 1983 in Europe, and later by Statik/MCA in the U.S. in 1984.]

Mettler: Before we go — and before I get back to spinning Nourallah Brothers for pretty much the rest of the day (laughs) — I turn the vinyl floor over to you to add your own final words about the wonders of LP listening.
Nourallah: I’d like to add that, in the ever-increasing “short attention theater” world we live in, taking time to listen to records has become even more important to me. And making records has become vital to me as an artist. It’s not the simple or easy way to go — and, as an independent artist, the expense is a lot. It also takes time and effort to get all of the design elements right. But the idea of my music solely existing on streaming platforms is anathema to me.

NOURALLAH BROTHERS
NOURALLAH BROTHERS
2LP (Happiness)

LP1, Side A
1. Those Days Are Gone
2. I’ll Be Around
3. My Little Innocent One
4. Public Skool
5. She’d Walk A Mile
6. Heaven Is The Day
7. I Wanna Be An Artist

LP1, Side B
1. Christmastime
2. A Morning Cigarette
3. Down
4. Someone To Love
5. Sorry With Goodbyes
6. Who Are We?

LP2, Side C
1. Linda
2. Get Up And Get Out
3. In Another Time
4. A Little Time
5. Lightness And Space
6. You Don’t Want To See Me
7. If This Is Love

LP2, Side D
1. We Listened To The Radio
2. Ticky Boom
3. I’ll Run Faster
4. That Kid
5. The Way We Play
6. Endless Dream Days