Vermont native
Noah Kahan
's third album,
Stick Season
, is a nostalgic one that explores life transitions including leaving home as a young adult, negotiating a pandemic, and getting help for mental health issues. Its uptempo, acoustic lead single, "Stick Season," which gave
Kahan
his first appearance in the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, even mentions COVID by name, alongside rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness thoughts and plans. The set spans similarly driving, full-band folk-rock ("Northern Attitude"), sparer ballads ("Strawberry Wine," "Halloween"), and even emphatic, organ-accompanied rock ("Homesick") but mostly lingers in a tender meeting place in the middle, where
both reminisces and longs for more. The album struck a chord with listeners, resulting in his Billboard 200 debut all the way at number 14. ~ Marcy Donelson