Whether you’re new to the hype or a long-time fan, we can all agree on one thing – Noah Kahan’s third album is incredible. If you’re unfamiliar, Noah has been writing and releasing music within the indie-folk genre for just over seven years now to a relatively small group of fans. However, when he released a sneak peek of an upcoming song, Stick Season, on TikTok early in 2022, he was received with immense praise and popularity. The clip quickly reached trending status, and from there, Noah skyrocketed into fame. As a result, what could’ve been another (still fantastic) studio album turned into a social media craze, the final result being a compilation of thirty uniquely beautiful songs.
I still remember the first time I ever heard Noah’s voice. It was a couple of months into Covid, and I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I was doing rough. Two months into what felt like house arrest was definitely taking its toll, and a big escape I found at the time was music. I’d hang out in my room after a long day of online classes, lay on my floor, and listen to song after song for hours at a time. I was a Pandora user at the time (I am not proud of this fact) and would listen to stations curated around indie music, waiting until I found new artists to keep me occupied. One of these days, I was going through the motions and heard this beautiful guitar at the beginning of a song, followed by Noah’s vocalizations for over a minute before he started singing. This song was Maine, and if you’ve ever heard it, I know you’ll understand how stunning it is and why I felt the need to play it on a loop until I had the lyrics memorized. Ever since then, he’s been one of my top artists.
Now, for the actual album. Buckle in because I’ll be talking about all thirty songs. Trust me, Noah deserves the commitment.
- Northern Attitude
As an Ohio native, Noah’s lyrics about growing up in the North have always struck a chord with me. Northern Attitude explores love and loss and brings light to how growing up in the cold can leave people with a frosty personality. It’s about being scared to let someone get too close to you on the off chance that you’ll disappoint them. Somehow, he’s able to bring voice to all of the things you might hate about yourself and make them sound beautiful. This song somehow breaks my heart and simultaneously makes me want to love everything so much harder.
Favorite lyric: “You settle down, you’re feeling lost – You’re getting stoned, then kickin’ rocks”
- Stick Season
The song that started it all. The first single off the album, Stick Season, was a game-changer for Noah as well as myself. The title of the track references that time of year that Northerners are all too familiar with, after the beautiful fall of the leaves but before the snow, when everything is just brown and blah and UGH. Like the weather, Noah sings about being stuck between his anger at a failed relationship and the guilt he feels over how it ended. He can’t move on because everything around him serves as a reminder of what he lost. It’s a weirdly fun listen despite the devastatingly real lyrics, which is what Noah does best.
Favorite lyric: “So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad, that I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from Dad”
- All My Love
A lot of Noah’s music revolves around the relationships he’s experienced throughout his life. All My Love is no different, as he expresses his feelings towards someone who’s no longer in his life, but used to be a big part of him. He sings about how there are no hard feelings, and how they did what they needed to do to change and be better. It’s a sweet message that shows not only the power of Noah’s songwriting, but the gracious personality he embodies as well.
Favorite lyric: “You burrowed in under my skin, what I’d give to have you out from me”
- She Calls Me Back
In a fantasy about coming back together in a relationship, Noah sings this song about a past love that he’ll always be willing to reconnect with. They found love with each other, but he was too afraid to commit. Looking back at it now, he realizes he’s in a better place, and should she ever come back, ready to pick up where they left off. He’s putting himself on the line, asking her to give him another chance, but from his perspective alone, it doesn’t seem likely. It’s a refreshing change of pace to hear a man openly singing about his own faults, leaving the woman faultless and still as important to him as ever.
Favorite lyric: “I do not exist to die, but live to die while saving you”
- Come Over
This song reflects a lot on Noah’s own mental health and struggles. He sings about his faults but looks forward to a more beautiful future. Rather than staying stuck on everything he’s unhappy about, he sings a strongly-worded and emphasized bridge about how things will eventually get better for him, as long as he sticks around long enough to see it for himself. It’s an interesting story, starting and ending with sadness, but with a nice break in the middle that uplifts the listener.
Favorite lyric: “Someday I’m gonna be somebody people want”
- New Perspective
Ohio name drop! New Perspective, to me, is a song about being stuck in one place while the world moves on without you. In Noah’s eyes, it’s once again about an old relationship, but the themes stated here can be applied to a number of situations. He gets a little petty here, feeling like his old town is changing despite his wishes and wanting to “drag back down” someone who hurt him in the past. It’s a sad song disguised with an upbeat rhythm, as a lot of his songs are. It’s a great vibe for coming up with choreographed dance routines (my roommate can verify!).
Favorite lyric: “Gave me your word and now I can’t pronounce it”
- Everywhere, Everything
When you combine folk songwriting with a love ballad, you get the beauty of Everywhere, Everything. This song is filled with sentimental lyrics, and Noah expresses that all he wants is to spend the rest of his life (and after) with the person who means the most to him. The two are so engrossed with each other that nothing else matters or even registers, as he states, “We didn’t know that the sun was collapsing – till the seas rose, and the buildings came crashing.” It’s a reminder that nothing is permanent and that we should embrace every moment we can with our loved ones.
Favorite lyric: “Two bodies riddled with scars from our preteens intertwine in a car’s dirty backseat”
- Orange Juice
Not only is this my favorite song off the album, but Orange Juice is my favorite Noah song ever. His songwriting talent and soulful passion shine here, as he not only sings but belts each ut-wrenching lyric to this ballad. He tells the story of a friendship that drifted apart because of an alcohol-related trauma; where his friend chose to get sober after the incident, but Noah and his friends stayed the same. The friend is angry and trying to understand why they haven’t changed, while Noah tries to understand why his friend left. The storytelling is truly remarkable in this song, as each line helps the listener grasp one more piece of the puzzle. Ultimately, the song is about growing and changing, and losing people you love, but doing it all for the better.
Favorite lyric: “But it made you a stranger, and filled you with anger… Are we all just crows to you now – are we all just pulling you down?”
- Strawberry Wine
Young love is complicated, as Noah tells listeners in Strawberry Wine. The characters in this song seem to have fallen too quickly, too deeply, into “love,” to the point where it leads to their downfall. They begin the story thinking of themselves as a “we,” rather than their own unique individuals – however, once they mature a bit and split up, they see each other as their own people. They just weren’t compatible, and forcing a relationship to work is never a good idea. Poignant and bittersweet, like strawberry wine itself, the song carries a message that will stick with the listener long after it ends.
Favorite lyric: “For a few moments, I see you”
- Growing Sideways
Growing Sideways is a personal insight into Noah’s own traumas and his healing experience. He sings about avoiding dealing with issues, then finally acknowledging his need for help as he seeks out therapy and medication. Through his lyrics, Noah not only gets his struggles off his chest but can also convince his audience to seek help themselves. He pushes us to confront our own problems rather than “grow sideways” around them to evade them.
Favorite lyric: “And I divvied up my anger into 30 separate parts – keep the bad shit in my liver, and the rest around my heart”
- Halloween
One of Noah’s most intelligently-crafted songs has to be Halloween. This piece is all about Noah experiencing an emotional haunting of sorts as he yearns to grow and separate from a previous relationship but still finds himself being held back by his thoughts on the situation. He sees this person in everything and can never escape how he feels about their ending. Painting the other person as a ghost creates a beautiful sense of imagery that haunts the listener just as it haunts Noah.
Favorite lyric: “I drink till I drown, and I smoke till I’m burning”
- Homesick
Another song about the trials and tribulations of living up north. Homesick perfectly encapsulates that feeling that so many of us are all too acquainted with, where all you want is to be anywhere other than where you are. A play on words: Homesick is not about missing your home but rather being tired of the monotony of familiarity. Noah sings about being sick of where he is and yearning to be somewhere else. A highlight of this song is him singing that he’s mean because he grew up in New England – perfectly understandable if you’ve grown up in some place where you never felt quite fit.
Favorite lyric: “Time moves so damn slow, I swear I feel my organs failing”
- Still
Still, it is about lost love and the struggle to move forward afterward. We hear the most repetition in this song out of the album, as Noah wails again and again, “I don’t, I don’t, I don’t wanna say goodbye,” driving home the point that this is causing him tremendous pain. Once you get yourself stuck in the past, it can feel nearly impossible to escape – we can hold onto memories and cherish them, but we cannot let them consume us.
Favorite lyric: “And I used to watch my mother move like God was in the room”
- The View Between Villages
The first time I heard The View Between Villages, I was completely blown away. I’m willing to argue that this is the most emotional Noah song, and I think a lot of fans would agree with me. Starting slow and quiet, The View steadily rises into a powerful and angry bridge/culmination, with an overall sound that’s completely unique from the rest of Noah’s discography. As the original conclusion of the album, this song served to wrap up the story, going over themes we’ve heard in previous tunes, but in a way that feels completely fresh and entirely too relatable. It’s dramatic and angry and absolutely perfect.
Favorite lyric: “It’s all washing over me, I’m angry again”
- Your Needs, My Needs
While not the first bonus song released off the album, Your Needs, My Needs soars as the intro in a chronological listen. Nothing beats hearing Noah’s northern accent absolutely wailing about feelings of powerlessness as he tells the story of watching someone he loves struggle but is unable to help. We all want to do everything we can to help the people we care about during their time of need, but sometimes, all there is to do is be patient and wait for them to tell you what they need. Your needs might differ from my needs, as we understand through this positively brutal listen.
Favorite lyric: “Subtle change, shorter days – dead-eyed, dead weight”
- Dial Drunk
Still coasting off his newfound Tiktok fame, the clip of Dial Drunk that Noah posted also went viral pretty much instantly. To appease fans, he promised to release it as a single – and thirty songs later, we all know how that turned out! Dial Drunk is another stunning reflection on the dangers of alcohol and addiction, bearing a deeply saddening story hidden by layers of upbeat energy. We hear about a drunk driving accident, followed by a brief stint in a county jail, where Noah’s character uses his one phone call on someone who refuses to be a part of his self-destructive behavior any longer. He’s somehow completely mastered the art of making fun, windows-down style songs full of lyrics that, upon a close listen, will haunt you for a long time.
Favorite lyric: “I’m untethering from the parts of me you’d recognize – from charming to alarming in seconds”
- Paul Revere
Paul Revere is a song very close to my heart, talking about getting away from the place you’re from physically but never fully leaving mentally. I left Ohio to come to school here in Tampa, which was the best decision I’ve ever made. However, I still feel my ties to where I’m from every day – whether it’s through a fleeting thought about what my friends might be up to up north or a phone call with my mom – I know that as far as I am, I’ll always have a piece of myself there.
Favorite lyric: “If I could leave, I would’ve already left – I would’ve already left”
- No Complaints
There’s something to be said about the order this album is laid out in. While it’s not necessarily a chronological order where Noah expresses his struggles and relationships, the songs are definitely placed for a reason. There’s often a flip from upbeat to more melancholy, from a dead relationship to ongoing love. I think No Complaint exists in the perfect spot because, after several songs where Noah sings about not being ready to accept help, this song plays and tells a story of the issues that can still be faced when that help is offered. He finally takes his medication, designed to “fix” him, but it ends up just numbing him to everything. It’s a difficult listen but a well-stated reminder that good things take time – nothing in life is an immediate or perfect solution to anything.
Favorite lyric: “And now the pains different – it still exists, it just escapes different”
- Call Your Mom
My mom told me once that she loved this song and how sweet it is. It’s definitely a sweet sentiment, but this might be one of the saddest stories we hear throughout the album. It’s about someone stuck deep in a pit of despair while Noah professes how much he cares about her(?) and promises to stick around to help her find happiness again. He vows to call her mom and make sure that nothing bad happens while he’s around. The writing implies that the girl in the story is battling mental health issues and is possibly suicidal, making the lyric “won’t you stay with me” all the more heartbreaking. Overall, it’s a compelling ballad with a beautiful message of support for struggling listeners.
Favorite lyric: “Don’t let this darkness fool you – all lights turned off can be turned on”
- You’re Gonna Go Far
Fun fact: this song was actually written about me. Kidding, unfortunately, but in all honesty, this is one of the closest songs to my heart since I heard it for the first time. As an Ohio native who left everything she knew to go to school in Tampa, a little ballad about forgiveness and moving forward feels like a direct message to me. Noah sings about someone who left him behind, but he isn’t angry. It makes him sad, but he knows that they’ll be better in the new place they’re in now.
Favorite lyric: “The birds will still sing, your folks will still fight… we ain’t angry at you, love, we’ll be waiting for you, love”
- The View Between Villages – Extended
I think part of the charm of the original View is that it’s so short. That’s not to say that this version is any less amazing – I still adore it, and I’m more than happy to hear more of the story unfold. The extended bridge of this song is immaculate, painting an even more vibrant picture of the story as Noah is pulled between past and present. Despite the anger and power expressed towards the end of the song, it climaxes on a peaceful note, with a bit of calm noise bringing the listener back down to earth. It’s an incredible feat to create a song that changes from simplicity to pure emotion and back to a calming outro.
Favorite lyric: “Left at the graveyard, I’m driving past ghosts – their arms are extended, my eyes start to close”
- Forever
In a word, transcendent. My roommate and I stayed up on a Thursday night to hear this song the day of the drop, and we lay on the couch, both feeling like we were floating once this one finally graced our ears. The layering of his own vocals combined with some of his emotionally sweetest lyrics yet give birth to Forever, a song dedicated to his past self. He sings about how he used to feel that love and spending eternity with someone was a trap, but upon finding the right person, it now feels like his greatest gift yet. This song is the perfect conclusion to his solo version of the album and definitely something I could listen to forever (pun intended).
Favorite lyric: “When forever was a sentence, sentence to death… and the edges of your soul, I haven’t seen yet”
- Dial Drunk (with Post Malone)
The first collaboration released, Dial Drunk with Post Malone, definitely got people talking and made the hype for these drops all the more lively. It’s worth noting that none of Noah’s collabs with other artists use “ft.” before their names; each song says “with,” implying that the new version of the song is every bit as much of theirs as it is Noah’s. It’s a small detail that makes me and others love the man even more – despite being the original songwriter, and he lets them bring their own unique sound, and occasionally lyrics, to his works, making them better for his fans everywhere. Post Malone adds a new verse to the song, using a country-esque drawl that many hadn’t heard from him before and expanding the story further.
Favorite lyric: “I dial drunk, I’ll die a drunk, I’d die for you”
- Call Your Mom (with Lizzy McAlpine)
Working this song into a duet is a brilliant move, and adding Lizzy McAlpine’s signature mellow croon is a stroke of genius. With the power of their voices combined, Noah and Lizzy offer a beautiful message of hope through the darkest moments to their audience, making this one a fan-favorite for many. Noah’s version was exceptional, but having another person singing the chorus with him makes it seem so much more full, and like there is an entire support system singing to the listener, rather than one person.
Favorite lyric: “If you could see yourself like this, you’d have never tried it”
- She Calls Me Back (with Kacey Musgraves)
Who doesn’t love a little unrequited love song? I think out of the collabs, this one works the best as a duet. Kacey brings in another perspective to the song, singing the reverse of some of Noah’s lyrics from the original version. We learn here that she’s actively avoiding Noah, trying to live her new life and cut old ties. However, there’s still an attachment there – she’s moved on but still calls from time to time.
Favorite lyric: “You love me and I don’t know why – I only call you once a week”
- Northern Attitude (with Hozier)
When Noah announced a collab with Hozier, it felt like they were doing it specifically for me. I’ve been listening to Hozier for 10 years now, and from seeing Noah’s old tweets about how much he loved the guy, I knew we both had similar thoughts on his massive talent. Not only were the two joining forces for a song, but that song was Northern Attitude. I was anxiously waiting for the drop, and when I heard Hozier’s vocals supporting Noah’s, I cried like a baby. No joke. This remains my favorite collab off the album and one of the best pieces of music I’ve heard in a while.
Favorite lyric: “All alone, late in life – Scared to live, scared to die”
- Everywhere, Everything (with Gracie Abrams)
This love ballad was especially sweet to hear with two voices, making it seem like they were singing it to each other. Noah and Gracie’s sounds complement each other well and make Everywhere, Everything once again sound brand-new. Even without Gracie making her own verse, it still seems fresh and completely separate from the original version. In my opinion, this song works better as a duet – imagining myself singing Gracie’s part and a future boyfriend singing Noah’s gives me hope for the future.
Favorite lyric: “Till our fingers decompose, I’ll keep my hand in yours”
- Homesick (with Sam Fender)
I was especially excited to hear that Noah was working with Sam Fender, knowing that he’s been a huge fan of Sam for years. It felt to me like he was getting everything he deserved, going from admirers of these artists to coworkers, and even friends. Having grown up in similar backgrounds, they worked together on Homesick, which I personally believe is the best choice for a song they could’ve done as a duo. The pride and bitterness they both express in this song build off of each other and make them stronger, and I, for one, look forward to hearing their voices combined again in future projects.
Favorite lyric: “I stare at the hallowed ocean as if to pick a fight”
- You’re Gonna Go Far (with Brandi Carlile)
When I heard this one for the first time, I said out loud: Oh my god. It sounds like my parents are singing this to me. If you follow Noah on any social media, you know he’s taken to calling himself “daddy,” – which would be weird and off-putting if it were anyone else, but yeah. He’s basically my dad (he’s six years older than me). Singing such a personal song with Brandi makes this version extra special. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that it felt like forgiveness hearing this song like Mom and Dad telling me that they’re proud of me, even though they miss having me around.
Favorite lyric: “But that’s the thing about survival – who the hell, who the hell likes living just to die?”
- Paul Revere (with Gregory Alan Isakov)
Another insane duo announcement. Gregory and Noah’s styles have always felt very similar to me, with their emotional storytelling and overall sound. Their harmonies together gave new life to the chorus of this song and somehow made it sound like an entirely new work. Listening to a song about feeling like a stranger in your own home sounds depressing, but somehow, Paul Revere is one of the most therapeutic, full-blast anthems on the album.
Favorite lyric: “And when they ask me who I am, I’ll say I’m not from around here”
All in all, this album is more than a collection of songs – it’s been an experience, a wild ride, from start to finish. Every new drop was more exciting than the last, and I, for one, have bittersweet feelings about the ultimate end of the Stick Season era. It’s been incredible, uplifting, sad, wonderful, and so. Much. Fun. I look forward to what Noah has for us next, but until then – STREAM STICK SEASON FOREVER!