Ben Quad Delivers An Emo Juggernaut Of An Album With ‘Wisher’

The Oklahoma-based emo kings Ben Quad have returned with their sophomore record, with ‘Wisher’. This marks their first release since last year’s ‘Ephemera’ EP, and their first full-length since 2022’s ‘I’m Scared That’s All There Is’. This album dives into a lot of what makes emo so popular and special these days, but also what makes this band stand out from their peers in what they incorporate in their sound. Fun hooks, chaotic instrumentals, and lyrics that pierce the soul…what else could you want?

The record opens on a pretty chill note, with “What Fer?”. It sets the tone of the album pretty well, and it gives off the right vibe and atmosphere on track one. It gives off a lot of Have Mercy vibes, and the banjo will be ever so present on this album in the best of ways. As well as synth, because we don’t get enough synth in emo these days and this band does a great job implementing it. Also, shoutout to how incredible the guitar tone sounds on a song like this one.

We follow up with the second single from the record, in “Painless”. This one easily gives off the biggest 2000’s emo vibes, and definitely showcases the kind of sound they put on that last EP. It’s actually a good mix of that and their overall sound, mixed perfectly so make an instant classic from these boys. The bass stands out really nicely on a song like this one. The back and forth vocals between vocalists Sam Wegrzynski and Henry Shields sound so great and natural during the chorus as well. The outro goes so fucking hard as well, and it’s sure to be one of the more energetic tracks live for them. 

We then jump to one of my favorites on the record, with “You Wanted Us, You Got Us”. And this feels like such a quintessential emo track through and through. It really keeps the energy flowing from the last track and doesn’t let up for a second. Zayna Youssef of Sweet Pill’s feature really fits like a glove on a song like this, and her voice fits perfectly with the other two vocalists as well. The punk beat and high energy second verse goes so insanely hard as well, and I love how the last chorus and outro feel like it’s firing on all cylinders. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t a highlight for most people who heard this record. 

We follow that one up with my personal favorite track on the album, with “Did You Decide to Skip Arts and Crafts?”. This one is such a bouncy kind of emo track, as it gives off the vibes that of someone like Free Throw. The melodies feel top notch and at their best on this song, and I love the subtle banjo returning in parts here. The drums, by drummer Issac Young, are a real standout on this one as well, The synth during the bridge gives me the vibes of someone like Motion City Soundtrack as well. Sam Canty of Treaty Oak Revival’s feature surprisingly adds a lot to the song, with his great voicemail at the start and his singing during the bridge. The unlikely pairing here makes for one of this band’s best songs to date, and that’s even surprised me.

We then follow that great track with yet another great one in the first single, “It’s Just a Title”. I love how progressive this one sounds in the guitars, guitarist Edgar Viveros has a ton of shredding on this track (especially on the bridge). This one gives off more pop-punk vibes overall, as the melodies feel huge and it’s just catchy all around. I love how the synth is incorporated on this one as well, they just know how to use it when it’s needed. This also makes for one of my favorite songs by them to date. 

We jump to yet another one of the singles, with “Very Big In Sheboygan”. The energy doesn’t stop with this one, as it’s flowing really nicely to keep the pace of the album really well. The vocals by Sam on this one stands out quite a bit, and it feels like peak emo once again. The drums also once again stand out really nicely, Issac feels like one of the more underrated drummers in this genre right now I feel like. A lyric that stood out to me on this one and on the album was, “When you’re lonely, just remember I’ll see you there in December”. It’s just one that feels kinda iconic in a way, like you’d see that one tumblr popping off. 

We slow down a little bit, but keeping with the vibe with “All Your Luck”. I love how the guitar tone on this one feels more on the twinkly side of things. This one also includes some of the best melodies on this album, and easily one of the better choruses as well. I do really appreciate how good the vocals sound when they’re more on the chill side of it, like it feels fitting for a track like this. And the lyrics feel once again genuine and from the heart, as it’s showcased here. 

We follow up with another softer kind of track, with “Classic Case of Guy on the Ground”. This one gives off huge Origami Angel vibes, especially when it comes to the vocals and how they’re delivered. This one feels placed perfectly, being after the last song and closer to the end of the record. And I gotta give another shoutout here to how great the synth feels when it pops up. It’s not overdone, and it’s used exactly when it feels right and I love that about this band. A lyric that stood out to me on here was, “You could’ve tried harder, but it’s harder to hold on”. 

We reach the penultimate track, and one more on the midwest emo side with “West of West”. This one also really gives off Hot Mulligan vibes and the sound they’re placed in. The twinkly guitar tone continues on in this one, and the heavy parts on this track feel very well-implemented. Nathan Hardy of Microwave’s feature works well with both Sam and Henry’s voices. And his screams also feel right at home, as the song progresses of course. I can also see this one being a fan favorite, as it feels signature to emo as a whole in 2025. 

We reach the end of the album, and back with the peak emo vibes with “I Hate Cursive and I Hate All of You”. The heavy parts are once again well-implemented on this, and the instrumentals give me super Arm’s Length vibes as well. It’s got one more great chorus to end this banger of an album. And the guitar by Edgar shines once more, as it has throughout these eleven tracks. It feels like a pretty fitting closing track, especially with it being the longest out of any of these songs. And I don’t think this album should’ve ended with any of these other ones, this one felt right. 

This year has been stacked when it comes to emo records, but Ben Quad has offered one of the best within the past decade with ‘Wisher’. It makes for one of the best albums this year, and an album that I’m sure many will connect with in the years to come. This band just showed that they’re here to be in the big leagues, right up there in the conversation with bands like Arm’s Length or Hot Mulligan.