THE RISE, THE RISK, AND THE RECORD: Quarters Take on the World, Even If It’s Ending

With their third album I HOPE THIS ISN’T THE END OF THE WORLD, the trio formerly known as Quarters of Change continues to emerge as a force in rock — and then immediately hits the road to prove it.

The NYC rock trio who spent the better part of a decade performing under the name Quarters of Change — have made their move.

I Hope This Isn’t the End of the World, the band’s third full-length and first under their newly shortened moniker, is not merely a rock record. It is a statement of intent — fourteen tracks that feel like a roar reckoning with mortality, youth, and existence. For a band that has always worn its heart in public, this is the album where Benjamin Roter, Jasper Gee Harris, and Attila Anrather finally sound like they’re betting the farm.

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THE LONG WAY ROUND

Context matters with Quarters. These are not overnight sensations manufactured in a label boardroom. Roter, Harris, and Anrather grew up together in New York and made the city part of their DNA. They released their debut, cut their teeth on relentless touring, and built their following the old-fashioned way: one live show at a time.

Their London trajectory tells its own story. Not long ago, they were booked to play The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington. After an advance sellout, they were upgraded to The Camden Assembly, and finally to The Dome in Tufnell Park — not a bad room in which to make a point. The UK crowd, always an early indicator of a rock band’s genuine staying power, had clearly shown up.

Now, with the album finally in hand and a 26-show, 25-city North American tour kicking off on the same day as this release, Quarters are preparing to find out just how loud that conversation can get.

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THE RECORD

The album opens with “Angel,” and it is the right choice. Driving and propulsive, the track signals the key shift Quarters have made on this record: they have traded some of the introspective indie caution of their earlier work for something larger, more committed, and frankly more exciting.

Harris’s production is confident without being overproduced, keeping the guitars front and center while giving Roter’s vocals the space and urgency they demand. “Angel” is also the subject of an accompanying music video, and it’s easy to understand why: it’s a thesis statement.

“Supersonic” and “Star” demonstrate the band’s range. The former is propulsive and giddy — recalling the best of 2000s alt-rock. “Star,” by contrast, is softer and anchored in a reverb-rich palette. Quarters know when to push and when to breathe.

“Try Again Benjamin” carries the album’s final third with the reflective weight its title suggests. It lands with unusual force — addressing Roter by his first name and winding the record down after uptempo tracks “Gimmesomemore” and “What is Fate?”

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THE CRAFT

Largely self-produced by the band — a significant leap of creative confidence — the album is supplemented by collaborations with Imad Royal (whose credits include work with Panic! At The Disco and Oliver Tree), Danen Reed Rector, and David Bottrill, whose discography with Tool and Muse speaks for itself. Mastering comes courtesy of Ted Jensen, a name synonymous with the very best in rock.

The production choices throughout are worth noting. Guitars are present and tactile without dominating every frequency. The rhythm section — Anrather’s drumming is, throughout, a joy: precise, dynamic, and never merely functional — is mixed with unusual and satisfying physicality. And Roter’s vocals are allowed to move: from close-mic vulnerability to full-pelt catharsis and back again, sometimes within a single song.

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THE VERDICT

I Hope This Isn’t the End of the World is not an album that announces itself with the fanfare of a major-label machinery push – It does something rarer and more persuasive.

Quarters have figured out not who they want to sound like, but who they actually are.

The name change is a small signal of something larger: a band shedding the last of their growing pains and stepping fully into themselves, without hedging.

The tour starts March 13. Two nights at Irving Plaza await. If you’ve not been paying attention to Quarters, now’s your chance.

I Hope This Isn’t the End of the World is out March 13, 2026 via Warner Music Group / Sparta.