Quinn XCII's fifth album, 2021's ebullient
Change of Scenery II, finds him further embracing an upbeat and thoughtfully emotive pop sound. The album works as a sequel to his 2015 debut EP, A Change of Scenery, and consequently feels like
Quinn (whose real name is Mikael Temrowski) is looking back over his life and career while taking stock of his choices. Helping
Quinn achieve this hooky, uplifting vibe is longtime associate
Ayokay, who produced the album at his home in Rhode Island. While there is still an undercurrent of hip-hop and R&B running throughout
Change of Scenery II, the album is largely built around an infectious blend of indie rock guitars, keyboards, and lyrical melodies. It's a style that pleasantly brings to mind the work of other contemporary acts, including
Maroon 5 and
Quinn's fellow Michigan native
Mike Posner. There's a breezy, relaxed quality to many of the songs on
Change of Scenery II, as if
Quinn isn't overthinking his material and just letting his songs flow freely. He also crafts tracks that blend genres with ease as on "My Wife & 2 Dogs," where he mixes shimmering
the Cure-style '80s guitars with snappy electronic percussion to help frame his lyrics about getting away from busy, plugged-in lifestyle. He sings, "Had to get away so we could just unplug from this/We spent seven days 'cause lately I been stuck/Buy some real estate with all of these cool songs we made/Move out to the beach with my wife and my two dogs." Equally compelling are tracks like the yearning emo-pop of "Distracted Youth," the glee club piano hip-hop of "Stay Next to Me" with
Chelsea Cutler, and the poignant acoustic guitar duet "We Don't Talk Enough" with
Alexander 23.
A Change of Scenery II is not just an album full of broad musical inspiration, but also gratitude. ~ Matt Collar