Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) – Album Review

The Stick Season album was a monumental switch for me in the way I feel about music and storytelling. Noah Kahan uses his pain and mental illness, things that have dragged him down as a device to instead  inspire others. The addition of the We’ll All Be Here Forever deluxe portion adds so much more depth and poetry to what was already such a smash of an album. In honor of the various hints that have been dropped by Noah himself about his upcoming project, The Last of the Bugs, I wanted to review and analyze Stick Season, before this beautiful era comes to a close. 

Northern Attitude 

The finger picking pattern that has both bass notes as well as some treble touches gives us the feel of being up in the mountains. Noah asks reminiscent questions to someone he used to have a relationship with. He questions the meaning of life in the first verse confronting things like loss and the growth that follows. A moment of silence follows with a sudden drop to a quick strumming pattern with deep rooted passion. The chorus screams out “forgive me if I don’t meet your high expectations.” He begs an audience to forgive him for the coldness of his personality and blames it on the way he grew up. The second verse dies back down to a quieter tone referencing the highs and lows of life and getting the hang of things. The chorus crashes back in with the repetition of lyrics followed by a break with harmonizing vocalizations that signify a freedom. Eventually all the noise comes to a pause and the chorus is sung once more except this time it’s bare. Instead of the initial line “If I get too close” he instead says “If you get too close.” This tells us that now he has let someone in and it is up to them and they can choose how much they open themselves up to him. This is a claim that if you choose to love him, he comes with baggage. “Northern Attitude” is a passionate warning.The little adlib at the end of Noah being impressed with his performance on this track followed by a slight giggle shows the true passion that has to go into creating a record like this. 

Stick Season

This track opens up with another finger picking pattern on an acoustic guitar that tells a story. A story of two people in a memory because these two people are broken up. Over and over in his head, Noah replays the memory of the moment their relationship changed. He uses the metaphor of a drive to describe the way the woman threw everything away between them. The memories of them together are something he cannot forget. Everything reminds him of her and he sees pieces of her everywhere. He is stuck in a town surrounded by their memories. He relates to the audience in the awkwardness of running into your ex’s parents. He recognizes and accepts that he had at least half a part in this breakup and knows that his coping strategies aren’t the best. The second verse brings us along on an attempt at recovery. A poetic string of lines mesh together to create a blame game. He blames his mental illness on his father,

he blames his depression on her leaving him, and lastly he blames her for not letting him move on by not returning his calls. The choruses repeat and admit that he “just likes to play the victim.” Noah is very self aware in the fact that not all of this is her fault and he knows he is dramatic. The folky banjo that runs through all the choruses gives us an upbeat tone considering the depressing state of the lyrics.

All My Love

The second appearance of an adlib on this album continues a passionate and creative drive that was needed to make this album so special. He starts off this track with the question “How have things been? Well, love, now that you mention it” inviting us in to let him speak his truth about the way things are going for him. He admits a few things that have been bothering him and put a dullness in his life. The traumatic pastime of watching his parents fall out of love barely speaking to each other, creating a depressing way to look forward to future relationships. He knows that he himself talks too much and dumps things that he shouldn’t. The line “No winter coat could keep out all the cold of your atmosphere” is a beautifully poetic way to blend figurative and physical language to tell us that the darkness of life can’t be avoided no longer how hard we try. The pre-chorus takes us into a memory of which he used to drive around with his love interest and listen to good music. The line that follows: ‘Now I know your name, but not who you are” is so powerful. It tells us that he knows of her and used to know her well, but now everything is different and a name doesn’t tell us who someone is inside and out. Nevertheless, he chooses not to dwell. He wishes her the best anyways and merely says that he is the same and hasn’t changed. He still hangs out with the same dogs to keep him company and takes the same medication to try and not feel all the crushing feelings of depression. The next verse is a dedication to her and the memories they shared again. He remembers how the car used to feel and wishes her the best again. We repeat the chorus again and it follows with a bridge. Another memory. This memory in particular references a romantic moment they shared of a kiss. He was nervous, but risked it all. This part gives us an overall feel of the adrenaline rush that comes with young love and doing it all for the first time. The giddiness he felt is described with the promises they made to each other. Yet, we head back into the chorus signifying that life goes on and all good things come to an end. Repeating at the end over and over again “You got all my love” tells us that even though everything is gone he still supports her and wishes her the best. 

She Calls Me Back

This track starts off way lighter than the rest. We feel a new sense of relief and relaxation. Noah is speaking highly of someone new. He reassured the audience this woman is someone who brings him great comfort. For a while the two never crossed paths hence the lines “Lost for a long time/ Two parallel lines.” The lines that are parallel never cross or meet. The steady drum beat overlapped with lyrics in the verse tell us that Noah wants to devote himself to her. The pre-chorus section is a string of questions about himself that he wonders. He admits to being obsessive over love and being someone’s person. He hates that he is like this but can’t stop. He watches her from afar and admits the pathetic truth that “This town’s the same as you left it, your page was blank but I read it.” This to me means that she left their home behind and she gives him no attention but he still goes after her, and of course he keeps calling. The chorus puts this woman up on a pedestal and reassures the audience that he feels safe when the woman calls him back. The drums take us through the second verse where Noah describes simple things that remind him of her and the depression he feels without her. He repeats the idea that he will love her forever no matter what. The bridge has a regretful tone that he wasted time being with her because he was too concerned with “Livin life in your footsteps.” In reality, “living life in her footsteps” would have been better than losing her.

Come Over

The sad pluck of the acoustic guitar strings give us a sense of reflection. The rawness of it all and the echoes and the guitar being solo sets the tone. The line “So, when they mention the sad kid in the sad house on Balch Street/ You won’t have to guess who they’re speaking about” reveals to us that we are referring to a memory of Noah’s childhood. He bursts out in the depressing idea that even the place he lived was a sad environment. So of course, the kid that comes out of that house is super depressed. Nevertheless, the chorus is only his voice wailing “Come Over.” Begging for someone to keep him company aside from the fact that the house is so empty. The second verse is a jolt of self recognition and freedom. He is taking charge of his life and letting his emotions out. He resents the small house he and his family lived in but he is grateful for the shelter it gives them when things get harder and harder. As the family loses money and weather gets crappy, the once resentment over this shitty house turns into “At least we have a house!” The chorus comes creeping back in as the guitars get a bit louder. His vocal range in this portion of the song is incredible and shows off pain in a passionate way. The bridge has an emotional tone of a little kid hoping for the best and dreaming big. Even if nobody believes in their family he swears that “My dad will strike it rich, we’ll be the big house on the block.” And one day, everyone will want to hear what he has to say. The emotions die down and we quiet down into the reality of the chorus that these dreams may come true one day but for now “I’m in the business of losing your interest.”

New Perspective 

The strumming pattern is steady and high. We’re set in a scene of things that remind Noah of the past. He thinks about his fears and highlights his cowardice in the line “If I could fly, I doubt I’d even do it.” He compliments her in the way that she makes him feel safe and magical. The slide on the guitar takes us into a pre-chorus, describing things that make this town what it is. The men that share their opinions unwarranted, the kids, and the litter that lines the streets, cleverly making the last one a metaphor by telling us that his paper bag “is full of receipts” referring to all his emotional baggage. The music slows into a quiet build up. We crash back in with the chorus. He looks down on his small depressing town that is excited by small ordinary things. He resents the way that she left town and now looks at it as something she thankfully left behind. He wishes he could bring her back selfishly to share his misery. The next verse reveals that she gave him a touch of trust issues by saying “Gave me your word and now I can’t pronounce it.” He makes it clear that everything doesn’t feel right since she left. The repetition of the last chorus keeps emphasising the feeling of being trapped in this small depressing town crowded by seasonal depression. Telling us over and over again that this woman has run away from her roots and come up with what Noah believes is some snobby new persona and “New Perspective” on life. 

Everywhere, Everything 

The cold intro accompanied by some hurt sounding “oohs” takes us into very descriptive what if questions leading to more and more random details that all have a theme of simplicity and young love. The lines “We didn’t know that the sun was collapsing/ Til the seas rose and the buildings came crashing” transitions us into the idea that life can’t be carefree forever. One day, everything in life becomes less innocent and we must grow up and be mature about what comes next. The chorus crashes in with the message that through everything, Noah wants to spend his life with someone special surrounded by the people he loves. If everything is going to fall apart, let the ones he loves be near. The next verse comes and he is calmer. He has set up a life in this county that he knows so well. He sounds more settled down and dreams of growing old in a routine with a woman. The repetition of the choruses after this bring on a very passionate and full circle feeling, representing that it is best to weather a storm with one you love and be committed to them until the very last minute alive. 

Orange Juice 

This track to me is a change of pace. It tells the story of Noah and an old friend. Someone who has been traumatized and isolated themself from the group of friends. Noah invites this friend over once the party has died down and there are no temptations present. He promises that nobody will try to get her to indulge in anything addictive, they are just happy she’s back. This track to me has relation to the character we talk  about in “New Persepective.” Someone who has left the town behind because of traumatic events. Suddenly Noah begs the question “why’d you go?” This woman takes a slow approach to her answer. The chorus explains that ever since the traumatic event, everything has changed. She thinks differently and tries not to be reckless. She is timid and reveals that she is six months sober. The next verse reveals that the traumatic event must have been a car crash, most likely drunk driving. The driver seemed to not be affected by this physically, but maybe even worse became an emotional wreck. She hid herself away from her friends and distanced herself out of embarrassment. Even though this must have been a drastic mistake, Noah has missed his friend. He feels guilty for not reaching out. She calls him out and asks “don’t you find it strange/ That you just went ahead and carried on?” He retaliates during the bridge by asking if everyone she left behind is “just pulling you down.” He reassures her that the accident wasn’t all her fault. The quiet repetition of the intro reassures her that they are still all happy to see her and there is always a place for her. 

Strawberry Wine 

The solo acoustic guitar lets us understand that this song will be a subtle dedication to someone special. Noah requests that this woman be quiet and just enjoy the moment together. He wants to watch her and be with her in a peaceful way. His devotion and infatuation with her is revealed in the line “I’m in love with every song you’ve ever heard.” He wishes he didn’t think about her so much because she is gone. When he thinks about love, she comes to mind as well as the things they used to do together. The line “No thing defines a man like love that makes him soft” reveals a part of him that is sensitive. He knows that love is the all knowing force that can bring him out of his stubbornness and hardness. The ironic lyric “If I was empty space, and you were a formless/ Shape we’d fit” tells me that it was never going to work between them because both parties would have to change a lot about themselves. 

Growing Sideways 

The raw cry of depression jumps out at you for this one. Noah debates the success rates in therapy. Every part of this first verse seems like an emotional routine that he keeps himself in. He does this in order to stay sane and alive. While this is pretty soul crushing he knows that “there are worse ways to stay alive.” The chorus is a recognition of every other person in his life that has hard stuff to deal with. He settles for the idea that “if my engine works perfectly on empty/ I guess I’ll drive.” Meaning that if he can get by this way, he will just keep going. The next verse is more hectic because of his loss of meds. As a result, he spends all his money and finishes off the idea with the line “now I’m sufferin in style.” This is a little pun to cover up all the pain that he feels. He wonders why pain has to come in these immediate waves with no warning. He makes a vow that “if all my life was wasted/ I don’t mind, I’ll watch it go/ it’s better to die numb than feel it all.” To me this means that he would rather feel nothing than feel so much pain and depression. The repetition of the line “I guess I’ll drive” in the outro tells us that he may not be stable, but he will keep living. 

Halloween

In saying that he is “sailin away to a place I’m afraid of,” Noah is revealing to us that he is diving back into old memories. One’s that he prefers to push out of his brain. He imagines her in New Orleans because that’s the last detail he heard about her. He has acceptance about the fact that they are both a big part of each other’s lives. But he eventually contradicts this by declaring “But the wreckage of you I no longer reside in.” This is a claim that he makes a big effort to not let their breakup define him and he does not associate himself with the pain that they caused each other. He describes her as a ghost that haunts his life and even though it isn’t the exact day of Halloween, he finds her memory to remind him of it. He admits that the smallest things remind him of their relationship. The second chorus has a double vocal an octave higher layered on top, putting emphasis on his declaration to move on. The outro is quiet again. He lets go of some of her opinions of him and sets sail to a new chapter.

Homesick

The high pitched shaky vocal in the beginning displays a sort of nervous excitement. Noah is excited that she is returning back to town again and tries to joke about the bad things that still linger there like how the people fixate on unimportant things. Most importantly in this verse, Noah is hiding small hints of anger in two particular lines. The first being “The weather ain’t been bad if you’re into masochistic bullshit.” The word masochistic is defined as enjoying some sort of activity that anyone else would feel pain from. The second and most obvious display of this is in the finishing line “this place is such great motivation/ For anyone tryna move the fuck away from hibernation.” In this line, Noah is saying that the depressing little town is a great way to motivate yourself to get far away. This is a bit of a pun coming off the line “Some guy won Olympic gold eight years ago, a distance runner.” Implying that it makes sense that some guy won this award because he must have just been running away from the town. The break in between screams out and transitions us into another verse that gives Noah the freedom to let out more complaints. A slew of small details about the town are shared but Noah admits “I stopped carin’ about a month ago, since then it’s been smooth sailing.” This line transitions us into the chorus that tells us that he “would leave if only I could find a reason” and explains that “I’m mean because I grew up in New England.” This tells the audience that he hates this town but has nowhere better to go so he stays until there is a real reason not to. He needs that push to get out because he does have dreams and ambitions but he has no self-confidence and therefore can’t “make himself believe them.” So he settles for his childhood home and the thought that if he ever left he would just be “Homesick.”

Still

Another shaky and high pitched introduction to this track and plead not to say goodbye. The first few lyrics introduce the idea that people never realize what they have or what they intend to get until they are at their lowest. He comes to the conclusion that it is too sad and small to stay in his hometown forever after fighting this thought so much in past songs on this album. Chanting out “It’s like I’m still here with you/ I don’t, I don’t want to say goodbye” reveals to me that this song is about loss and grief and the desperation to be in the presence of someone that is gone. The next verse is a description of what it feels like waking up another day without this person. The description of feeling helpless comes with the line “Look down on myself like a patient in surgery.” Yet, a shed of light pokes through in him saying “I’m in bed, and I’m wondering if I’m callous, but hoping/ Can I fix what is broken?” In this stage repeating the chorus tells us that even though this is a low state he is in, he feels like he still has a grip on the person he has lost and thinks that if he pulls himself out of the depression and into acceptance it is like saying goodbye to the person. The angelic echo of the chorus lyrics shows the reachout to heaven and the ones that are no longer with us. Suddenly in the outro it all goes quiet and we are left with some final truths in that when you are feeling so low, it is at times very hard to understand why you feel that way but you’re sure it’s there. 

The View Between Villages 

The silent beginning and legato plucking of the guitar strings sets the tone for a quiet closure. Noah has a new perspective. He feels young and optimistic about his future. Taking in the details of nature and a deep breath. Shoutout “the last of the bugs” mentioned. The buildup of more music in between the two verses ignites a passionate feeling of hope. Noah releases everything that takes up his brain power. He is letting it go, and he is leaving. He is leaving it all behind. The depression, the town, everything familiar is gone. The long minute of silence with only a faint note as the outro confirms closure and a new chapter. 

Your Needs, My Wants

This opener for the deluxe shows us a sense of the repetition that Noah feels in his life. I see similarities between this track and “All My Love” because both refer to a memory involving young love. He shares sentimental feelings of the exhilarations that it can give you, until adult feelings creep in. We start off slow, “To spiral out, to try and float.” Here he is saying that at first when depression finds its way to him he tries to fight it and “float.” At “Bitter-brained” an electric guitar build up gets louder. Suddenly he is “Rail-thin.” Losing his temper. He screams out. The pain of it all comes down on him and the solo of the electric guitar tells us everything. It represents a mess in the mind that he feels when he is spiraling. The outro represents the acceptance of it all, quieting down, and making himself understand what is happening. 

Dial Drunk

The little banjo riff at the beginning of this one changes the entire tone of the album. We are more upbeat, which leads me to believe that this is the purposeful manic little hit of the album. This song is meant to be happy with a still crushing message. Catchy and happy even though we are still talking about heartbreak. The idea of “Dial Drunk” is to tell a story about a reckless Noah sort of taking accountability for his mistakes but also being accepting of his own flaws. He questions his own character and admits that he isn’t as great as he used to be but “doubt it, forget about it, whatever” because “It’s all the same anyways.” The chorus is a hi-hat heavy confession that he knows he has not always made the right decisions. He expresses his disappointment in himself for being arrested but even more disappointment in the person he trusted to be his emergency contact not picking up. He expresses his self pity by telling her “Even the cops thought you were wrong for hanging up.” Nevertheless, he would still “die for” this person. The next verse takes us through a routine of Noah trying to forget this person and get out of his own way. The bridge is a further devotion to this person. He wants to get better so this person will accept and love him again. It displays a conversation of concern where the police officers respond to his “Oh, son are you a danger to yourself” and “Son, why do you do this to yourself” upon him requesting he calls her again. The final chorus displays one more effort to grab her attention and presents the final statement “I dial drunk, I’ll die a drunk, I’d die for you.”

Paul Revere

A western tale is replicated with the sad banjo that plays in the beginning of this song. He describes details about the town and the people that live in it once more. He kind of calls them out saying that “We’ll drink til New Years, then they’ll leave me to clean up.” But he dreams of a time when he can finally ride away and pretend like he was never there. He will be better than these drunks one day. The second verse describes more things and people that bother him but he realizes, the second he leaves he will feel remorse by saying “Until it ends, that I’m not ready to let go yet.” It doesn’t matter when he goes or how fed up he is, there will always be some remorse in leaving. The bridge describes this moment. This moment where he is right about to leave, but he sees all the things that represent his childhood and reminds him why he never could pull the trigger on running away. A moment of clarity arises in “the world makes sense behind a chain link fence.” There is safety behind the fence, the risk of leaving is what scares him every single time. The risk of failure or being lost. 

No Complaints 

This one opens with crisp rim hits symbolizing a little sense of defeat. Noah opens up these lyrics with a bit of self reflection and some deprecation. He blames himself for his misery but tells us that things got better once he picked himself up and discovered some drive. The ups and downs of this song really takes us into the brain of someone with crippling mental illness. The sense of always starting over and finding new solutions of how to go on. Once the medication is introduced he represents his suppression of emotions with the lyric “forgot how to cry, who am I to complain?” The next verse starting with “And now the pain’s different/ It still exists, it just escapes different” shows us what the medication does and how it works inside his brain. The careful observance of things that used to depress or anger him being more faint also shows us a sense of recovery while simultaneously feeling dull. The outro is a suspended repetition of the chorus with only a faint bass note leaving us with the sinking feeling that everything is just a cycle. 

Call Your Mom 

This track is set from a different perspective. Right off the bat we can assume that this song was written from the perspective of a friend. This friend cares so much about the well being of the other person. They will do whatever it takes to make sure their friend finds the light and doesn’t do anything to endanger themself. The genuine offer to “Call Your Mom” notifies someone that it is clear that they need help. They won’t make it alone. He offers a validation of telling the friend that he has “Been exactly where you are” making the person feel less alone. The next verse takes us through a very graphic emotion that lies with a person in a waiting room for someone they care about. He points out that “If you could see yourself like this, you’d have never tried it.” This specific line tells us that the attempt of someone in pain hurts loved ones more than imagined. He believes that if the person had ever known how much pain it would cause others, they would have never attempted. This section is a subtle encouragement to those that have thought about this that they are leaving people that care so deeply about them behind. The chorus line “Don’t let this darkness fool you/ All lights turned off can be turned on” is an empowering reassurance to those that feel so low. It tells them once again that they are not alone and there are so many who have felt the same as them. The bridge is a string of suggestions of how people can muster strength to go on. Whether it is about family, love, or even a religious responsibility, Noah shouts out that everyone is able to find a reason to say. He also offers himself as a resource repeating over and over that he will “drive all night/ I’ll call your mom.” He will do anything to make sure that there is a reason. 

You’re Gonna Go Far

The final track on the deluxe is a lighter feeling yet he is again describing a specific scene. He pictures himself and a woman in a car having a conversation. Right in the beginning he admits that he was praying for the drive to be longer because when they reach the end of the drive, he knows it’s over between them. Though the tone is calm it is clear that they are arguing from the line “Making quiet calculations where the fault lies.” The next verse is an observation of everything that has happened, pointing out that he feels so far from the age of a college kid and has gotten to the point where he cannot rationalize their actions. He makes references to reckless actions like drunk driving considering the losses it has caused him. He does this in a casual way by saying “And I even gave up driving after nightfall/ I got tired of the frat boys with their brights on.” He takes these actions as an example of something that changed the town for the worse, repeating again “This is good land, or at least it was.” He finds comfort in the thought that even when things get tough and worse around town, that the person he cares about will be gone and away from the nonsense. He doesn’t mind that his life isn’t so great where it is because at least she will be happy away from it all. The chorus encourages the flourishing and leap of faith that he wished he had the courage to take. The pain and loss is still there, but watching someone else live their happiest and best life is enough for him to carry on. It is the message that says: Go do your thing. Be great, and when you want to come back we will be here waiting for you. He believes in this person and preaches it so much so that they understand that the talent is far too advanced to waste it. Life is too short to waste it.