Nov. 26, 2000
By G.C. Weeks
...continued
Salim and Faris Nourallah mostly succeed in maneuvering
these pitfalls, treating their coveted subject with a smoothly executed
poignancy. These days, "poignant" seems a dirty word, mostly denoting a
gauziness and cloying sentimentality infinitely succored by Hollywood
"idea" men; but it needn’t feel the complete sting of co-option. The
Nourallahs rescue the term through a refined melodicism, and by scouring
the basics of songwriting: solid melodies, competent arrangements and an
unabashed embrace of lush pop majesty.
Slaves to melody, the Nourallahs are songwriters in the purest sense of the
word. They pen meditative, uncluttered concentrations of superstarshine,
while wholly engaging the spectrum of human emotions. Chief amongst their
array of instruments are guitar and keyboards, but their own production and
recording skills are what place the bulk of their compositions well over
the top.
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