A Review of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)”

Article by Sam Menk

On Friday, June 9th, Noah Kahan released a deluxe version of his album Stick Season from 2022. The new edition, captioned We’ll All Be Here Forever quickly became one of the most streamed albums of the week and month.

The deluxe album contains seven new bonus tracks, further emulating the original version’s emotional upheaval. From the upbeat “Dial Drunk” to the more melancholy “Call Your Mom”, Kahan creates a new grasp of the “New England experience”. These songs were teased on social media for months before the release, captivating listeners and building expectations that have definitely been met and exceeded. This release brings about a deeper raw emotional experience from Kahan, hailed as a masterpiece. The album creates a fuller sense of the despair of leaving home, losing friends, growing and changing as a person— not always for the better. 

I had the pleasure of seeing Kahan in concert a few days before this version of the album was released, so I had a more in-depth view of what was to be expected from the new album, and it was one of the best concerts I’ve attended this year. Kahan truly captivates the crowd, both with the emotion in his music and his well-balanced humor throughout the show. The balance of guitar and percussion throughout the background of each track allows listeners to feel the breeze of driving through New England, and find a New Perspective about themselves. 

Personally, the new album has quickly become one of my most listened-to pieces of music, with it on repeat since its release. The highlights of We’ll All Be Here Forever have to be the tracks “Your Needs, My Needs”, and tearjerker “Call Your Mom”. These reveal an acceptance of past unhealthy relationships and moving past them and prioritizing your own needs. And to anyone who has tried to save a friend from themselves, it “Call Your Mom” will hit harder to home. 

Overall, to new listeners of Noah Kahan, prepare for an emotional rollercoaster. And to those who have been listening since his 2019 release Busyhead, his music just gets better and better. Like most of his listeners, I cannot wait for the next release and to see where his music takes him (and us). As for now, I am more than content to continue streaming Stick Season, and relistening to We’ll All Be Here Forever.