By Jase Walker
“You’re gonna need a glass of water, we’re gonna be here for a while.” I think that’s the first line I really heard from Ben Quad that stuck with me pretty hard, and they became part of this steadily building interest in Midwest emo that became ever greater as a love alongside bands like Arm’s Length and Sweet Pill.
With the forthcoming tour of both of these and the chance to see Ben Quad do their stuff live, it’d be daft if I didn’t have a huge interest in their new album, ‘Wisher’, dropping in the cold months of November but immediately warming my heart. Clocking in at ten songs and just on the 30-minute mark, they’re staying true to the emo roots of punk with getting a fun song over and done with at the three-minute mark and not outstaying its welcome.
This is another fantastic example of Ben Quad writing an album full of material that really tugs at the heart strings and makes me feel like a teenager listening to Jimmy Eat World for the first time all over again. An album that makes me forget that my knees aren’t what they used to be and has me wishing I could be at the front of the crowd, screaming the words back at the band while they hammer out a set that would make even the most stoic of people cry their eyes out.
A small intro from ‘What Fer?’ and leading into a massive, epic can opener of a song ‘Painless’ that shows both sides of Ben Quad’s style that mixes the signature sparkly sound that midwest emo is known for but also heavier segments with screamed vocals that would no doubt turn heads of any Pierce The Veil stalwart.
There’s a lot going on in this album that would easily draw in anyone looking for a breath of fresh air in their jaded days as an aged My Chemical Romance fan. This band is dead set to catch the attention of many people on their escapades in support of this album because it seems that in addition to keeping their somewhat quirky style that’s very apparent in ‘Did You Decide to Skip Arts and Crafts?’ but going for the throat with a more serious sound on it, immediately following ‘It’s Just A Title’.
This particular niche has often been scoffed at with people generally being introduced to it with the likes of American Football’s ‘Never Meant’ which despite it being a fucking fantastic song, it’s easily memed in the community and can be a little off-putting but I would truly put Ben Quad across as someone looking to dig a little deeper.
It’s an album packed with incredibly melodic riffs and lyrics that are just so easy to pick up on whether you’re someone that sits and studies them to be the one leading the singalong pack at a show or whether you’re content with being one of the people further back who loves just joining in with the chorus and soaking the rest of the music up in quiet contentment.
The overall pacing makes this such an easy album to stick on regardless of what you’re doing or about to do, whether you’re about to jump in the car for a quick drive about, putting it on for a quick cry session or just needing some bright music to read to.
I don’t doubt that the album finale is going to become a bit of a fan favourite though, ‘I Hate Cursive and I Hate All of You’ starts subtle and builds to a finale that is going to deliver a heartbreaking end to any live set. I can already picture myself getting the shakes while belting these words out and Ben Quad can be absolutely certain that they’re onto a winner here that will cement their position as one of the next bands to really forge their own path.
In short, this album is a fantastic example of a group of songs that kick off, deliver the message they need to and wrap things up just like that. There’s no shortage of beautiful melodies and catchy hooks and if you want to be a bit ahead of the curve on a band that’ll be growing at an insane pace over the coming years, it’s Ben Quad and Wisher that you need to get familiar with. Oh, and then go a bit further back to ‘I’m Scared That’s All There Is” too.
You’re gonna need a glass of water, we’re gonna be here for a while…
- ‘Wisher’ is out now.
- Ben Quad support Arm’s Length in February:
