Good day, friends! Today I am listening to a CD by a musician from Dallas named Salim Nourallah. I’m sure he gets this a lot, but his voice bears an uncanny resemblance to Jeff Tweedy from Wilco. The timbre, the phrasing, the vocal range, just the whole general vibe. At least, that’s who he seems to be very strongly channeling on this release. The album is titled Beautiful Noise, and it was released in 2005—two decades ago now, the year I graduated high school.

I purchased this album after seeing Salim perform at the Kessler Theater in Dallas. If you are ever in Dallas and seeking a solid live performance, you’ll rarely be disappointed on any given night by the lineup there. The Kessler is where you go to really soak in and appreciate the performance—unlike some other venues in Deep Ellum, where much at the rock/punk/country/singer-songwriter/etc. types of shows typically happen in shoulder-to-shoulder bar-centric rooms where talking, drinking, and carousing often carry nearly as much weight with concertgoers as simply experiencing the art.

After Salim’s performance, I milled about in the lobby, buzzed and lonely. I was there by myself, and at that time in my life I was struggling with social anxiety. But I didn’t let that keep me from my first love, music—I simply self-medicated with alcohol. That worked out for me...until it didn’t. But on this night, the booze happened to work in my favor.

I stopped by Salim’s merchandise table to see what types of offerings he had available. When I arrived, I was met by the smiling face of a woman who, like me, had a slight gap between her two front teeth. I don’t recall her name, but I remember instantly feeling comforted in her presence. Her name was Carla. She was a longtime fan and friend of Salim’s who usually volunteered to run his merch table at his gigs. (For those not in the music industry, this is a common arrangement; sometimes touring acts will solicit local volunteers to help out on a tour stop in exchange for the connection, some free swag, and maybe a drink or two. I actually ran the merch table for Rachel Platten one night in Dallas. Some dude who was part of her entourage rubbed me the wrong way, so I ended up getting blitzed and not doing a particularly great job...or remembering much, oof.)

I still check in with Carla. She is one of those rare, gentle, loving souls you don’t want to let run out on you without letting them know—even if separated by years, or miles, or any other manmade unit of measurement—that you’ll always think fondly of them and wish them well on their journeys. She and her husband, Dean, have seen a lot of this country via motorcycle and RV. I intend for Amber and me to follow suit, ASAP. Peace and love to you.

—Jared Caraway

Here’s one of my favorite songs from the album, linked on YouTube so you don’t need a streaming subscription.

If you like what you’re hearing and want to support Salim, one of the best ways to do it is on Bandcamp!

Beautiful Noise on Bandcamp:

One of the things I’ve loved about rediscovering CDs after quitting my music streaming habit is the album art and liner notes. I didn’t realize how much I missed looking at these—they add an entire extra dimension of enjoyment and appreciation on top of the listening experience.

So I figured I would share the artwork from Salim’s album with you. He’s got some great lyrics. The hyper-minimalist style of the layout makes it a bit difficult to read in certain parts, but it’s worth putting in the work.