Quinn XCII’s Nostalgia Album, “A Letter to My Younger Self”

Michigan native Quinn XCII returns to his metaphorical roots in his highly anticipated third album A Letter to my Younger Self. A playful yet self-reflective album about his high school experiences, A Letter to my Younger Self blurs the lines of genre to do what Quinn XCII does best: balance laid-back music with evocative subject matter.

The album evokes the nostalgia of high school: the first loves, first heartbreaks and the other seemingly earth-shattering moments in between. At face value, a high school-themed album from a 28-year-old artist could seem like pandering to young audiences. With his familiar upbeat sound and introspective lyrics, Quinn XCII’s latest album is anything but pandering. Blending the lines of pop, hip-hop, electronic and soul, A Letter to my Younger Self tells a lyrically and musically cohesive, well-rounded story.

The album is a soft departure from the honest conversations about mental health that characterized his sophomore album From Michigan with Love. This was a pointed choice; as he says, his second album “took the conversation of mental health off the table.” It allowed Quinn to shift the narrative. In doing so, he gives himself the space to create a time capsule of sorts in this latest album. It explores the fears, regrets and heartbreaks of high school, the ‘firsts’ that seem monumental and life-changing in the moment, from the wise perspective of a man 10 years removed.

The album opens on the song “Am I High Rn” with an almost incoherent chorus that is reminiscent of drug-induced hallucinations, the first “high school first” depicted in the album. Wrapped in pop beats and boosted by a collaboration with blackbear are the anxious, paranoia-filled, weed-induced thoughts of “is my brain overworkin’ itself” and “gotta dig my own grave just to learn my lesson”. This song emphasizes Quinn XCII’s masterful ability to blend soothing melodies with lyrics that evoke a vastly different mood. It sets the thematic landscape for the rest of album. From the rebellious relationship with an older woman in “Stacy” to the regretful missed opportunity for love in “More than Friends”, a lighthearted mix of adult reflection and honest, fun storytelling characterizes much of the album.

The piano-driven ballad “Second Time Around” slows the album down considerably, letting Quinn’s self-reflective songwriting take center stage. Quinn shows off his vocal chops as he takes ownership of his past mistakes and “asks life for a second chance”. It’s a reflection of the mental health focus of his second album but with a more mature tone than that of “Autopilot” and “Sad Still”, whose electronic-pop beats somewhat obscure the serious nature of their lyrics. By stripping the song down, Quinn XCII is allowed to more deeply meditate on the raw emotions of his self-forgiveness and let that vulnerability drive the song forward.

With a lyrical callback to “Am I High Rn”, A Letter to my Younger Self’s closer “Everything I Need” ties the album together with a cohesive, nostalgia-filled ending.