Cusp — “In A Box” / What I Want Doesn’t Want Me Back
Label: Exploding in Sound
Release Date: October 17, 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆ 8.6/10
Chicago’s Cusp return with What I Want Doesn’t Want Me Back, a thunderous leap forward that captures the restless tension between comfort, purpose, and artistic freedom. Led by singer/guitarist Jen Bender, the band’s new single “In A Box” distills the record’s central question: What does it mean to make meaningful art when the artist feels confined by their own creation?
Built on wiry guitars, kinetic rhythms, and Bender’s emotive vocals, “In A Box” is both confessional and explosive. The track starts introspective—her voice flickering with uncertainty—before erupting into a soaring chorus that feels like an act of rebellion against self-imposed limits. It’s a song that aches and burns in equal measure, with a cathartic edge that recalls the best of Built to Spill or Speedy Ortiz.
“The track is a reflection on persistent inner conversations about comfort, art, and purpose,” Bender says. “It questions what impact art can have if the artist feels trapped in a box of their own making.”
The new album, out Friday via Exploding in Sound, finds Cusp more grounded and more daring than ever. While their 2023 debut You Can Do It All chronicled transience and reinvention, What I Want Doesn’t Want Me Back is about finding roots—and questioning what comes after. Recorded live at Chicago’s Electrical Audio, the album glows with analog warmth and emotional urgency.
Songs like “Oh Man” and “Follow Along” shimmer with melodic clarity while peeling back the layers of self-doubt and desire. Elsewhere, “In A Box” serves as the record’s emotional center—a rallying cry for anyone struggling to reconcile ambition and authenticity.
Cusp’s chemistry as a five-piece—Bender, Bates, Matt Manes (bass), Tommy Moore (drums, vocals), and Tessa O’Connell (synths, vocals)—is palpable. They shift effortlessly between ragged indie rock anthems and vulnerable confessionals, blending jagged guitar work with shimmering harmonies. The result is an album that feels alive—jubilant, restless, and deeply human.
“Yes, this is worthwhile and yes, it means something,” Bender concludes—and by the end of What I Want Doesn’t Want Me Back, you’ll believe her.
Listen / Watch
🎧 Pre-Order What I Want Doesn’t Want Me Back
🎥 Watch “In A Box” Lyric Video (YouTube)