Teenagers and young adults alike adore the New England, indie-folk sensation Noah Kahan, and his new music which captures the essence of a northeastern snow.
Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) is a deluxe version of his 2022 hit record Stick Season. Grammy nominee and SNL musical guest Noah Kahan, a 26 year old songwriter from Strafford, Vermont, is set to headline Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park this summer. Stick Season is his 3rd album, following I Was/I Am (LP- 2021), Cape Elizabeth (EP- 2020), and Busyhead (LP-2019).
But don’t let the shadow of success fool you, because despite his newfound fame, Noah Kahan’s music is as intimate and dynamic as ever.
Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) features six original, new tracks and one extended version. They each add onto the folk, northeastern stories presented in Stick Season, almost like an “epilogue” in Kahan’s words.
Your Needs, My Needs is an epic ballad that begins soft and slow before crescendoing to an incredible bridge, featuring chilling electric guitar and Kahan’s howling, tenor screams.
Dial Drunk (recently released as a single with Post Malone) tells the harrowing, fictional story of a man getting arrested under the influence and calling his ex-girlfriend, only to be hung up on and left begging to the cops- featuring banjo and basslines expertly.
“Paul Revere” uses the iconic figure as a metaphor for wanting to escape the loneliness of small town life, yet knowing you can’t leave the place that raised you, and trembles with mandolin and acoustic chords.
“No Complaints” details the battles of writer’s block and “prescription medication”, of coming to terms with personal pain and seeking help, and pulses with echoing drums that drive the slow tempo.
“Call Your Mom” (also re-recorded with Lizzy McAlpine) is a heartfelt anthem about a person comforting another through their toughest moments, as the singer belts iconic high notes.
“You’re Gonna Go Far” serenades the passage of time, as friends move on and the bittersweet feelings that come along with those changes- with an upbeat, alt/pop/rock chorus.
“The View Between the Villages- Extended” adds direct testimonials from Strafford residents, more references to Kahan’s hometown, and marks the perfect, emotional finale to the seasonal narrative the songwriter crafted.
Within these stories and songs, there is a striking duality. Heart wrenching lyrics melt with upbeat compositions. Acoustic, folk guitar piles with pop/rock, electric guitar riffs. A successful young adult sings about his struggles with mental health.
Just like the region that this album represents, Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) is a complex, beautiful, and rugged work of art that exemplifies the dual nature of life, through despair and delight.