Change of Scenery II

Quinn XCIIs fourth album, 2021s ebullient Change of Scenery II, finds him further embracing an upbeat and thoughtfully emotive pop sound. The record works as a sequel to his 2015 debut EP, 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 him 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 set is largely built around an infectious blend of indie rock guitars, keyboards, and lyrical melodies. Its a style that pleasantly brings to mind the work of other contemporary acts including Maroon 5 and Quinns fellow Michigan native Mike Posner. Theres a breezy, relaxed quality to many of the songs on Change of Scenery II, as if Quinn isnt overthinking his material and is 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 Cure-style 80s guitars with snappy electronic percussion to help frame his lyrics about getting away from the 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 Dont Talk Enough" with Alexander 23. Change of Scenery II is not just an album full of broad musical inspiration, but also gratitude. ~ Matt Collar