Ben Quad - Wisher

2025 • PURE NOISE RECORDS • EMO / POP PUNK

70/100

I initially became aware of Oklahoma-based emo band Ben Quad in late 2022, several months after the release of their debut album, I’m Scared That’s All There Is. The initial thing that drew me to the release was a song entitled “Blood For The Blood God,” a reference that I immediately understood (and loved) as someone who spent far too much money on Warhammer figurines and novels in his younger years. The song—and the album from which it came—was an exciting and anthemic burst of math-y emo that evoked both Tiny Moving Parts and newer bands like Camp Trash or Origami Angel.

I haven’t checked in on Ben Quad since then for a variety of reasons, so the release of their upcoming album, WISHER (out today on pop-punk powerhouse label Pure Noise Records) came as a welcome surprise.

What was also surprising was the change in the band’s sound; the aforementioned math-rock-tinged emo seems to have largely been abandoned in favor of one more akin to the “third wave” of pop punk that emerged in the early-to-mid 2000s—Knuckle Puck, in particular, comes to mind as one listens to this album. I initially became a fan of alternative music thanks to those bands—Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, State Champs, The Story So Far, etc.—being at their peak in the mid-2010s. I love that music and return to it often, even nearly a decade after the majority of it was released. I also love the newer bands that draw influence from that music, especially when they manage to evolve upon that sound.

Unfortunately, however, WISHER doesn’t do that. Given that I was anticipating a continuation of the aforementioned math-y sound from the band’s first record, the shift towards an entirely different sound—though it’s executed competently—is rather disappointing. I admire Ben Quad’s decision to change up their sound, but I also don’t think that the album did enough to separate itself from other records in the genre that were released this year (like Hot Mulligan’s The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still and Arm’s Length’s sophomore masterpiece, There’s A Whole World Out There).

While the decision to move away from the band’s original sound didn’t necessarily work for me, that doesn’t mean the ten tracks on WISHER are bad by any means. It’s a well-written and well-produced record that—if nothing else—demonstrates how the band has grown as musicians since the release of I’m Scared That’s All There Is just over three years ago. Some highlights for me included the riffs on “It’s Just A Title,” as well as the dual male/female harmonies on “You Wanted Us, You Got Us” (which features Sweet Pill’s Zayna Youssef and calls to mind the brief life of Ohio pop-punk legends Mixtapes). I also appreciated the banjo that features on “What Fer” and “All Your Luck”; more alternative music should feature banjo, say I!

Ultimately, while WISHER will certainly appeal to fans of modern emo and pop-punk bands like Hot Mulligan, Free Throw, and Arm’s Length—or even younger fans looking for the sound of emo records past—I can’t necessarily say it’s an album I’ll revisit in the future.

NBA COMP: LAMELO BALL

His original game was defined by unconventional, flashy passing and unique flair (the math-y emo); however, lately that spark has shifted into something different and some fans may find themselves wanting that old Melo back.