As Noah Kahan prepares to release a new album entitled “The Great Divide,” I believe we must reflect on one of the greatest works he’s ever released: his third album, entitled “Stick Season.” This album has fundamentally shaped my love for New England as a Washington, D.C. native.
The album is crafted with a folky melody, often featuring a softer, more acoustic sound in the background. Stick Season is shaped by its depressing yet somehow soothing lyricism.
“Stick Season” was released on Oct. 14 2022, and it quickly became Kahan’s most popular release.
Kahan explores themes revolving around mental health, grief, generational trauma and heartbreak. Ultimately, this album’s message is dissecting the effects of someone’s hometown on their state of mind.
Throughout the album, Kahan uses lyricism to describe the feeling of being stuck and growing comfortable in his own numbness as he watches the rest of the world pass him by.
Kahan can convey to his audience what it means to be truly immobilized by grief, and struggle with other mental health issues.
My senior year was defined by the title track “Stick Season.” The lines “if you wanna go far, then you gotta go far,” became my mantra every step of the way. Like many others, this was the song that introduced me to this album.
The song that made me fall in love with the album was the opening track, “Northern Attitude.” Coming from someone who wasn’t at all familiar with the New England culture, I thought this song was a bit of an exaggeration.
Then I got here, and I realized, “No, no, he’s right. It is cold here.” I also carry an extreme favor for the Hozier feature on the deluxe album.
The title “Stick Season” alludes to a colorless transition period; to me, it symbolizes the statement, “I’ll start on Monday.”
My favorite lyric on this album has to be from the song “All My Love,” and it is: “Now I know your name but not who you are, it’s all okay, there ain’t a drop of bad blood.”
Each time I thoroughly listen to this album, I’m left with a new favorite. It is impossible for me to choose a favorite song. However, I will include my top-three must-hear and overplay off the album.
In no specific order: “Halloween,” “All My Love,” and “Strawberry Wine.”
Okay, fine… if we’re including the bonus tracks, I have to include “Paul Revere.”
The album is perfect for a scenic New England road trip, maybe even one to D.C.
If you replay it enough, you could drive down the entire East Coast with this album on replay and still not get sick of it, I know I have.
