After the release of his third studio album “Stick Season” in October 2022, singer-songwriter Noah Kahan went on to release the extended edition, “Stick Season: We’ll All Be Here Forever” in June 2023. Who doesn’t love an extended album? Kahan added seven new songs that, at least for me, changed the way I looked at my life.
As an incoming college freshman whose life was entirely different than the year before, feeling a little lost in life decisions and sunshine and changing friendships felt just a little easier with the release of this album. I would like to preface this ranking with the fact that no matter how low a song may rank, it does not mean it is a bad song. There is no such thing as a BAD Noah Kahan song, just some I don’t like as much and when the album is on shuffle I am most likely going to skip it.
- “Orange Juice”: Forgiving yourself for the things you did under the influence has never been so beautifully displayed like it was in this song. While Kahan is specifically referencing alcohol in this song, influences can be anything that we use to distract ourselves from reality, some being worse than others. Forgiving yourself for the things you’ve done that changed both you and your surroundings takes longer than anyone can imagine. Kahan perfectly encapsulates the return home, abiding by sobriety and forgiveness with a simple cup of breakfast goodness.
- “The View Between Villages (extended)”:This song explained a feeling I didn’t know I had: leaving for college, graduating, giving last hugs. But above all else, what it’s like to feel stuck in the transition of life as it moves. I listen to this song in complete silence and just feel whatever needs to be felt.
- “The View Between Villages (regular)”: This gets ranked at 2a because I could not separately rank them. The extended version is BETTER than this version but I could not rank the original any lower than this.
- “New Perspective”: Recovering from being left behind or leaving the relationships we’ve made in our life can take a toll. Parts of people are going to “haunt” you and linger for a long time. Things will change. It is okay for things to change.
- “You’re Gonna Go Far”: As an incoming college freshman, I think the timing of this release couldn’t have been more perfect. I had to teach myself that I was deserving of better opportunities and to escape the narrative high school created for me. I get to move on so do we all. As one of my favorite quotes read, “You too can do hard things,” even if it means leaving.
- “No Complaints”: Bad things will happen, good things will happen but everything will keep moving even if it feels like the end of the world. Self-acceptance, moving on and breaking the cycle of feeling stuck are all explained through this lyrical masterpiece.
- “She Calls Me Back”: While the meaning behind the song is not the happiest, it is an upbeat happy tune. Sometimes it gets me to think about the people I’ve met and how sometimes they’re meant to come back and sometimes they’re meant to where we left them.
- “Call Your Mom”: This shattered my heart into a million pieces. This track references the realistic idea that when your friends are struggling, you can help them but you can still encourage them to get more help. Kahan depicts a struggle with mental health, finding your way in the darkness and having someone to go with you as such a beautiful story.
- “Growing Sideways”: Kahan explains beautifully how real the struggle of growing through your grief is, even if it feels like you’re doing it “wrong.” Similar to the idea, it doesn’t matter how fast you walk, as long as you keep walking. Having to cope with your trauma both from my friends’ experiences and mine, feels like there is no right way to do it and that’s because there isn’t.
- “Strawberry Wine”: This reminds me of the simplicity of youth; the late nights, the car rides, the joy of being young and naive even when it ends with pain and unwanted growth. While this doesn’t rank too high, it is still a beautiful song.
- “Still”: Sometimes the way someone haunts you is almost beautiful.
- “All My Love”: For the hopeless romantic in me, I love this song.
- “Stick Season”: A certified banger just got overplayed for me.
- “Paul Revere”: Good but missing some kind of sparkle.
- “Dial Drunk”: Screaming in the car song if you know what I mean. Ranks low because I skip it more often than not.
- “Come Over”: Almost feels like he’s begging but in a relatable way but it makes me sad, so I also skip this most of the time.
- “Everywhere, Everything”: Almost annoying but the hopeless romantic in me kinda likes it.
- “Homesick”: I really don’t think I am mean because I grew up in New England… but will still jam if I need to.
- “Halloween”: Just not a fan, I also skip this most of the time.
- “Northern Attitude”: I skip this most of the time. Growing up in Massachusetts did not create a soft spot for this song.
- “Your Needs, My Needs”: Again a skip – not a fan of the screaming into the mic thing.