A Letter to My Younger Self in Bloomington, MN

The third full-length album from
Quinn XCII
, 2020's
A Letter to My Younger Self
, finds the Detroit-born singer/songwriter further developing his hooky, upbeat mix of indie pop and rap. The record follows up his 2019 Billboard 200-charting album
From Michigan With Love
, and it bested that LP's performance, debuting at number 56. As with his previous work,
Quinn
takes a heartfelt and introspective approach, crafting songs about relationships, feeling down, and gaining a balanced view of yourself and the world around you. There's a musical cohesiveness to the album with a sound that straddles the line between the catchy pop of
Bruno Mars
and the more reflective hip-hop style of
's fellow Michigander
Mike Posner
.
's growing maturity as a songwriter is perhaps best represented by the title track, a brightly attenuated, rhythmically infectious production built around a buoyant piano riff and featuring a potent mid-song appearance by rapper
Logic
. On the track,
contemplates his journey from angsty young man to more emotionally grounded adult, singing, "Don't get too far in your own head when you shout/We'll smile in front of all the things we used to worry about." The notion that you need to keep a positive mindset and make time for self-care pervades much of the album. This is true whether
is offering a safe place to rest with singer
Ashe
on the synthy "Sleep While I Drive" or detailing his own insecurities about feeling invisible to others on the uplifting acoustic anthem "Notice Me." We also get several other equally engaging guest spots on tracks like "Coffee" with
Marc E. Bassy
and "Am I High Rn" with
Blackbear
. ~ Matt Collar