Some bands make great records. Ben Quad make great chaos. The kind of chaos that starts with a Craigslist message, ends with your favourite emo bands on speed dial, and somehow turns into one of the most exciting releases Pure Noise Records is putting out this year. Their new album Wisher is finally here — and trust us, this is the one you’re going to be telling people you were early on.
If you’ve followed Ben Quad since their 2022 debut I’m Scared That’s All There Is, you’ll know they’ve always had that spark — the messy, heartfelt, “this band might actually change things” spark. They landed early co-signs from people like Ian Cohen, toured with Hot Mulligan and Knuckle Puck, and accidentally turned a playful screamo dare into one of their biggest moments. (Shoutout to Ephemera, born from the now-legendary “10K streams or we drop a screamo EP” post. The internet really won that one.)
Now they’re back with Wisher — a record that feels like the next evolution of everything emo kids obsess over. And the best part? They’re fully in on the joke. They call it “post-emo,” which sounds like something you’d overhear at a house show at 2am… until you realise they’ve actually nailed it. Screaming, synths, sticky hooks, mathy guitars, more feelings than anyone asked for — it’s all here, but sharper, brighter, and way more confident.
Wisher pulls from every corner of the band’s collective brain: jagged punk riffs, futuristic production, Midwest emo twinkles, pop melodies you’ll hum for days, and even the most tasteful banjo placement in recent alt history. “It’s Just A Title” is a groove machine, “Painless” feels like Underoath if they grew up on twinkle riffs instead of breakdowns, and “Classic Case of Dead Guy on the Ground” features a falsetto hook so bold you have to respect it. There’s even a Microwave cameo because why not make your emo Avengers moment?
A big part of this upgrade came from relocating to New Jersey to work with producer Jon Markson (The Story So Far, Drug Church). Instead of rushed weekends and cramped demos, they got a dreamy countryside farm studio with endless gear, barnyard animals, and absolutely zero excuses. When you’re recording banjos, sleigh bells, and screaming your lungs out in a peaceful meadow… of course you’re going to level up.
And honestly? That’s exactly what happened. Ben Quad didn’t just make a better record — they made a brighter one. A more hopeful one. Instead of staring into the void like on their debut, Wisher celebrates the moments that spark joy, even if they seem small at first. It’s still emo, still messy, still honest, but it looks for the light instead of sitting in the dark.
That shift feels intentional — almost like they’re inviting us into this new mindset with them. Life is weird. Life is unpredictable. But Ben Quad are proof that sometimes the best things happen when you lean into the chaos, say yes to the ridiculous idea, and trust that the right people (and songs) will find their way to you.
If you listen to one new album today, make it Wisher. These guys are doing it right, doing it their way, and quietly becoming one of the most exciting bands in the modern emo wave. Tune in now — before everyone else claims they found them first.
There’s something special about a first listen — that instinctive, gut-level reaction where the songs hit you before you’ve even processed why. So here it is: our genuine, track-by-track thoughts on Wisher, exactly as it unfolded in real time. No rewinds, no polishing, just a straight-up first impression of Ben Quad’s biggest leap forward yet.
The album opens with “What Fer?”, and within seconds it’s clear this isn’t the explosive intro we expected… but we were instantly into it. Softer, slower, almost warm — then that ridiculously smooth guitar riff appears and suddenly everything clicks. If they sprinkle that sound across future records, we won’t complain.
Then we move to “Painless,” a track we already knew inside out before release day. Even on this first full-album run, it lands exactly where it should — catchy, emotional, and ending heavier than you expect every single time. It’s the perfect early-album punch.
Track three, “You Wanted Us, You Got Us” featuring Zayna Youssef, kicks off with playful, dreamy guitar work… and then Zayna takes the entire track up a level. Her vocals add so much character, and those screams? Chef’s kiss. On first listen, this was the moment we thought, “Yeah, this album is going somewhere exciting.”
“Did You Decide to Skip Arts and Crafts?” arrives and by the time it’s over, we’re fully sold on the album. Sam Canty brings a clear country flavour — but somehow it fuses perfectly with Ben Quad’s pop-punk lean. Pop-punk-country shouldn’t work, but here it absolutely does.
Next up: “It’s Just A Title.” We knew this one before the album dropped, but hearing it in context makes it shine even more. Opening riff? Instant favourite. Vocals? Brilliant. Chorus? Stuck in your head before the song even ends. On a first listen, this is the moment you realise the album has zero weak singles.
“Very Big in Sheboygan” keeps the momentum going. We loved it pre-release, and it still hits hard in the full tracklist. That “bridge-but-maybe-not-a-bridge” section feels straight out of the 2010s pop-punk playbook, and hearing it fresh in sequence gave us a massive smile.
Then “All Your Luck” comes in and shifts the mood completely. Softer, heartfelt, a little raw — but instrumentally huge. There’s so much happening underneath, but it never feels overwhelming. On first listen, this was the “sit back and really feel this one” moment.
“Classic Case of Guy on the Ground” is the first track where the energy dips just slightly. It’s not a bad song by any means — it just feels like the breather between bigger moments. A solid track, just not the standout we found in the others on first spin.
Then “West of West” featuring Microwave’s Nathan Hardy kicks things right back up. Immediate head-bopper. Big, sweeping chorus. Perfectly used feature. Even on a first listen, this one grabs you straight away.
And then we close with “I Hate Cursive and I Hate All of You,” which honestly feels like the ideal ending to the record. Midwest-emo essence all over it — soft vocals, twinkly guitars, massive finish. The second it ended, we were tempted to restart the whole album.
Based purely on this track-by-track first listen, Wisher feels like a major step up for Ben Quad. Confident, inventive, emotional, and full of personality. Pure Noise have something seriously special here — Ben Quad are undeniably ones to watch!
