My music taste is heavily influenced by the 15-second videos that rain through my TikTok For You page.
While I find myself uninterested in a good portion of the sounds I have listened to, one artist in particular sparked an interest of mine. Noah Kahan is an Indie Folk artist who, after releasing his single “Hurt Somebody” in 2019 reached a breakthrough in his music career and since then has continued to release music that has captured the attraction of fans across the world. In October 2020, Kahan released his newest hit album “Stick Season,” which contains 14 original songs.
Eight months later, Kahan released yet another album “Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever).” This album contains the same 14 songs as his previous one, with the addition of seven new tracks. Releasing the same album twice though was not enough for Kahan. He then went on to release four of these 21 tracks as singles, creating alternative versions with the voices of additional artists.
“Northern Attitude (with Hozier)”
“Northern Attitude” as a whole creates a sense of fulfillment with serotonin, and this version—Noah Kahan with Hozier—in particular has left me with an indescribable feeling. The fermatas Hozier effortlessly holds throughout this track, encapsulates a happy giddy sensation that makes me want to do nothing other than run through the outside air. Hozier’s emphasis on words combined with his overall pitch perfectly fits into the feeling Kahan has already created with this tune, causing their voices to perfectly intertwine, bringing out the best in each other and leaving me in complete and utter awe.
“Call Your Mom (with Lizzy McAlpine)”
I think that the puddle of tears sitting on my computer keys while writing this speaks for itself when I say I absolutely adore this song. After creating an original track about being someone’s phone call and encouraging them to seek help through their mental health, Kahan released this same message alongside Indie Fold artist Lizzy McAlpine. The warmth and gentleness in her voice are touching as a listener, creating a feeling of peace throughout the song, and flawlessly echos with Noah. As the perspectives shift from him to her then into a duet, Lizzy matches every aspect of the song with her voice entirely, leaving me in a state of blank thoughts. Even though “Call Your Mom” is a heartwrenching, tear-provoking, close-to-the-heart song that simply cannot be ruined, Lizzy McAlpine is an exceptional addition to this already perfect track, bringing new life to the song which I was unaware it needed.
The warmth and gentleness in her voice are touching as a listener, creating a feeling of peace throughout the song, and flawlessly echos with Noah.
“Dial Drunk (with Post Malone)”
Even though this is a duo that has been teased way too many times, it was most definitely worth the wait. Kahan brought Post Malone on stage during one of his shows to sing “Dial Drunk” as a duet, and it has now been turned into an astonishing track that positively differs from the original. In this version, the verses sung between 1:10 to 1:30 have been added to give Malone a chance to emphasize his voice in ways that he is known for. The song effortlessly shifts from Kahan to Malone over the line “I’d die for you, I’d die,” then, the song goes into Malone’s change of voice adding more of a rapping feel to the song rather than the favorable upbeat feeling that occurs throughout the majority of the song.
“She Calls Me Back (with Kacey Musgraves)”
I wish I could say that the love I originally had for this song grew, but whatever version I have now listened to may have ruined “She Calls Me Back” entirely for me. Just as the title prosumers, Kahan created a track in which he is awaiting a call back from an ex. In this version, he formatted the lyrics so it’s as if he and Kacey are on opposite ends of the phone, and while the structural aspect of the song did, turn out, the artistic and vocal aspects of it could use some work. I’ve listened to this song multiple times now, and I cannot get over the fact that Kacey’s voice simply feels so unimaginably out of place. When Kahan and Musgraves are singing in unison, the song is enjoyable, but as soon as Noah drops off, I feel as if I’m listening to something completely different and have to physically stop myself from hitting “skip.”
Taking beloved and cherished songs and adding crucial changes to them is nothing short of a bold move, and it is one that Kahan achieves in a perfectly smooth way. And, because of this, my love for his “Stick Season” songs has grown, leading me to almost prefer these new voices alongside his in these collaboration versions.
