“Quincy” is a powerful record for more reasons than one. Seeing Kimaya Diggs move away from a more folk oriented release to something that’s brimming with this retro soul and indie rock interpolation, “Quincy” is luscious, fun, and cathartic in so many ways. From a musician with roots that are Desi and Black, Kimaya Diggs background definitely plays into her sound. She’s always aspired to create art that connects with others who share her identities, always putting music as something that’s continually going to be at the forefront of her life as she took on multiple jobs on the side to sustain her passion.
Opening with the ever so endearing and entertaining “Follow Me”, Diggs definitely echoes similarities with artists like Lianne La Havas for those who might be fans. The entire record was written and conceptualised at a hard time in Diggs life. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that could shorten my lifespan, witnessed the passing of her own mother, her close friend, and her dear dog “Quincy”. With a serious vocal injury also impacting her ability to perform, she wrote this project as a way to process and deal with the complexities of such severe grief and loss seemingly unfairly being placed in her life.
And you can feel that emotion so thoroughly shining through. From the sheer passion and power behind her vocal performance to the lyrics of each song, there’s a piercing vulnerability to Diggs performance and compositions. It’s not just that she’s a phenomenal singer, it’s in the emotion behind each word, the subtlety of the production, and the narrative of each piece that you really find yourself falling in love with “Quincy”. Far beyond me to spoil each songs performance, “Quincy” has one of the most powerful three track closing pieces I’ve heard all year. From “Letting Go” to “Rainbow”, it’s hard to picture how it could end any better.
Simply magical.