_{By Joe Vickrey}

A few years back I played a gig with Fall Away and fell in love with their sound. My wife and I danced through their whole set, and it was my first time meeting singer-songwriter extraordinaire Brian Cabello.

Brian’s latest brainchild, Always Her, has been what feels like everywhere in the scene in a short amount of time. When I heard their debut single, “Silhouette (The Halloween Song),” I once again fell in love with Brian’s music. It’s a monster of a song. Ominous and groove-oriented, I found it impossible to not bob my head to the track as I pumped it on repeat more times than I’d care to admit. Because it was their debut, I think it flew under a lot of people’s radars which is a true shame. They quickly released their EP soon after, and the track is certainly a contender for my favorite song on the- Wait… it’s not on the EP? What?! Why??

Turning instead to the tracks that did make the cut, “In the Beginning” is a good pacesetter for the EP — both wistful and lighthearted. Brian’s voice sounds crisp and confident throughout. The toe-tapping beats and plenty of hooks between the guitars and vocals prove it’s far from a chore to listen to Always Her.

Next up is “Mr. Nice Guy” which is a song I remembered from the Fall Away days. The original version stuck with me, but its latest form has this recurring post-chorus section that sounds a like Stadium Arcadium-era Red Hot Chili Peppers song. Funk guitars and slap bass always make for cool breaks, but it sounds like they added them to one of The 1975’s songs, which is way cooler. In general, the bass seems to be the hidden weapon of Always Her. Whether in the foreground or background, there’s always something interesting going on in the low end.

As true romantics, “Airport Girl” tells the story of falling in love with someone in my least favorite place outside of the DMV: an airport terminal. Maybe it’s just nerves from the aviation news lately, but “Praying for delayed flight, hoping we’d have more time,” is a lyric that sends horrors down my spine. It also might be because my last flight had a ten-hour delay. True love or not, I have places to be Brian! Don’t put that on me!

The EP’s cover art depicts the visual of the title track, “My Brain is Carrying the World.” What it does not depict is the sheer groove. The song feels purpose-built for crowd involvement in a live scenario. The hiccupping hi-hats and falsetto vocals make the tune an absolute bop, but then BAM. You’re hit by a wailing saxophone. It steals the show, and my only complaint is that it isn’t loud enough in the mix. It’s such a fun texture, and I’d love for it to be in the limelight when it jumps in. Either way, it gave me “Miss You” by Rolling Stones vibes for sure.

“One Look at You (Acoustic)” is a wonderful finale for the EP. Usually acoustic versions of songs are the bane of my listening experience, but the sound of everything being funneled through one or two mics shows just how nice the song in its rawest form. The track shows off their more vulnerable side while giving the listener an insight into their creative process.

Always Her have hit the ground running with this EP. Banger after banger, they sound like the ultimate good-time house-party band. If you’re looking to ask out that new girl who just moved into the dorm across the street, then take her to an Always Her show and ask, “Are you my Airport Girl? Because you make my heart feel like it needs an emergency landing.”

Be sure to follow Always Her on Instagram! Give a listen to “Mr. Nice Guy” below!