Stick Season is the debut album from Vermont native Noah Kahan. Since its release, songs like “Stick Season” and “Northern Attitude” have skyrocketed in popularity and ended up near the top of the Hot 100 charts. Here is a song by song breakdown of what makes this album so special.
“Northern Attitude” – 8/10
The opener to the album sets the tone for what’s to come. It sets up the nostalgic and homey sounds that are present all throughout the album, and also introduces the albums main theme, life in New England, and the North in general. The slow build at the beginning of this song is ultimately paid off by the explosive chorus and drums that come around the 1 minute mark.
“Stick Season” – 9/10
Noah Kahan’s breakout hit song was so successful for a reason. The chorus has one of the catchiest melodies on the album. Not only does it leave you singing it for the rest of the day, but most likely playing it a few more times in a row. Once the beating drum kicks in, it adds a groove to the song that you can’t help but nod your head too. This, along with catchy lyrics about Kahan’s life in Vermont, make it one of the most memorable songs on the album.
“All My Love” – 10/10
“All My Love” shares a very similar formula to the last two songs – a soft build into a catchy and powerful chorus, while also sharing the beating drum pattern that Stick Season has. However what makes this song unique is Kahan’s vocal performance. He offers his most powerful singing and some of the best lyrics on the album yet with the line, “Retrograde / we’d shake the frame of your car, / now I know your name / but not who you are!”
“She Calls Me Back” – 8/10
“She Calls Me Back” offers a much faster pace than the songs before it. Kahan’s singing is much more fast paced to keep up with the driving drum beat and upbeat guitars. However Kahan does not disappoint with a catchy chorus and more lines about heartbreak and love. This song continues the supremely strong beginning of the album, as the first four songs are some of the best on the whole record.
“Come Over” – 7/10
The most subdued song on the album yet, “Come Over” is a simple acoustic love ballad that describes a sadness that Kahan feels when he’s alone, describing the look of his empty house before the chorus breaks with Kahan singing “Come over.” The song picks up near the end as the guitar swells and the vocals rise, before ultimately fading back into a calm guitar ballad.
“New Perspective” – 4/10
This song uses the slow build formula that many songs on this album do, however I don’t think it does it quite as well as the others. The chorus doesn’t hit as hard as songs like “Northern Attitude” and “All my Love.” The pre-chorus is the most enjoyable part of the song, which leaves the actual chorus feeling empty in comparison. While it’s still an enjoyable song, there are many others on the project that do the same thing, just better.
“Everywhere, Everything” – 8/10
“Everywhere, Everything” is one of if not the most heart wrenching songs on the album yet. The chorus is powerful and driving, but it’s the lyrics that show the desperate love that Kahan is feeling during this song. Lyrics like “Til our fingers decompose / keep my hand in yours,” and, “I want to love you ‘till wet food for the worms to eat,” are placed in between heavy drum beats and guitar strums that let the lyrics sit in your mind as the song continues.
“Orange Juice” – 9/10
As if the last song wasn’t sad enough, this song hits like a ton of bricks. It shares a story of a conversation Kahan had with a woman in his life, where he invites her over after a party stating, “We know you got sober, there’s orange juice in the kitchen, brought for the children, it’s yours if you want it,” as well as lyrics like, “Why’d you go / and you said / my heart has changed and my soul has changed / and my face has changed.” These lyrics show the regret that Noah has for his past relationship. He ends the last verse saying, “Are we all just crows to you now / are we all just pulling you down?” This line illustrates the relatable feeling of watching someone you used to know move on from your life. This song sonically isn’t much different from the others on the album, but its story is where it stands out from the rest.
“Strawberry Wine” – 7/10
Strawberry Wine starts with some of the smoothest vocals that Kahan brings on the entire album. This smooth and acoustic feeling only adds to the once again heart breaking lyrics like, “Those things I miss / but know are never coming back.” The song seems to speed up as it goes on, though it never quite reaches an upbeat pace.
However, this song represents the start of a lull in this album. While none of the upcoming songs are bad, they just end up being forgettable.
“Growing Sideways” – 5/10
Much like the last song, this track never reaches the powerful peak that the most enjoyable songs on the album do. While the vocals are catchy and the lyrics are enjoyable, the lack of anything unique from the rest of the album makes this song blend in with the others.
“Halloween” – 3/10
This song represents the first real “skip” on this project. The vocal lines are very repetitive following the same pattern for the entirety of the song. Along with this, the song never picks up past a snail’s pace, and the chorus consisting of mostly hums doesn’t help the song from being the most boring on the project.
“Homesick” – 6/10
“Homesick” shows us the distaste that Kahan has for the small town life he grew up with. Lines like, “I’m tired of dirt roads named after high school friends’ grandfathers / and [people] here still don’t know they caught the Boston bombers.” However, outside of this line that catches the ear, the song has a pretty run of the mill sound and subject for Kahan. So, while it’s not terrible, it is moderately unremarkable.
“Still” – 7/10
“Still” is one of the most somber songs on the album. Kahan’s delivery is rambling and sometimes off beat, which gives off the idea that he’s falling apart. He continuously says “I don’t want to say goodbye,” which, in the context of the song, makes it seem like the verses are him begging whoever the song’s intended for to stay. The song plays like any of the other soft guitar ballads found on this project, though the off-kilter delivery of Noah’s vocals adds some flavor that makes it quite enjoyable.
“The View Between Villages” – 9/10
This song is maybe the most personal story on the project, which makes sense as it’s the closer. The song details Noah’s return to his hometown. He describes it as “still” and like he’s surrounded by the memories of his past. The line, “The things that I lost here / the people I knew / they’ve got me surrounded for a mile or two,” makes you feel how trapped Kahan feels back in his hometown. Sonically, this song does not vary much from the rest of the project, but a solid vocal performance makes it worth it even if just for the lyrics alone.
