By Hanna Farrow ‘25
With 28.5 million monthly listeners, Noah Kahan has recently risen up the charts. Stick Season, released October 14th, 2022, is a very popular album that has streamed across tons of platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tik tok and Instagram.
For a quick overview, Noah Kahan’s album includes some different genres like pop, indie, folk, and country all mixed together. This type of music may seem boring, but Kahan does an amazing job meshing it all together. Stick Season is referencing the Vermont season between autumn and winter, when snow hasn’t fallen yet and trees are bare. In other words, this album represents feeling trapped in one’s own circumstances.
In addition to this, he features many other artists in his songs, such as Phoebe Bridgers, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, and Lizzy McAlpine, to mention a few. These artists add extraordinary parts to his music. This album is Kahan’s 3rd studio album, but, in my opinion, the best one released. These artists all have amazing music, and their contributions to Kahan’s songs only make it better. Many of them sing pop and folk so this is a great addition.
Stick Season includes 14 popular songs such as “She Calls Me Back,” “All My Love,” “Strawberry Wine,” “Everywhere, Everything,” “Northern Attitude,” “ Stick Season,” Come Over,” “New Perspective,” “Orange Juice,” “ Growing Sideways,” “Halloween,” “ Homesick,” “ Still,” and “The View Between Villages.” Many of the lyrics from this album are heart- touching. Some of these songs are written on heartbreak, family issues, friendships or love.
I personally have a connection to this album, as Kahan’s music was big for me during hard times. A lot of his music has helped me get through things, as it doesn’t always speak on issues straightforwardly, but has more meaning as you dig deeper into the lyrics and break them down. I tend to like music like this, as you get to figure more and more things out as you listen.
For example, in one of my favorite songs, “All My Love,” he says, “You got all my love while I’m still out here, with the pills and the dogs. If you need me, dear, I’m the same as I was; it’s all okay; there ain’t a drop of bad blood; it’s all my love; you got all my love.” The listener can assume that this has to do with a relationship or someone he is in love with, but he never writes these songs with direct meaning as some songs do; you have to comprehend what he means. This song is a reminder that no matter what happens, the people who truly love you will never let you fall. This song, like many others, can be relatable for many people depending on their situations.
Overall, this album is spectacular. It has no skips. This album will always be one of my favorites, as these songs flow effortlessly through tracks. It is heart touching, and I have never seemed to get bored of it. In the beginning, this album was not my favorite, as this genre was not for me but overtime this definitely grew on me for the better. I would highly recommend anyone and everyone to go listen to this album and get a taste of it for themselves.