NOAH KAHAN - FOREVER
I believe that as a music journalist, it is evident that most of my preferences remain in the rock and occasional indie genres. (What can I say? It has a chokehold on me.) But a lesser-known fact about me is that I live for folk music. Fleet Foxes, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Bon Iver, The Lumineers; all of those artists (and more) create music I can’t seem to get enough of. There’s something so heartwarming and compelling about storytelling through music, about the softness of an acoustic guitar, about the cultural significance of it all. Folk above all else also seems to be the genre that remains prominent in mainstream music, even if it isn’t completely overriding the charts at all times. It’s quite remarkable when you think about it.
Noah Kahan, as of recent, has been the talk of the town and a promising leader in modern folk music. His 2022 album ‘Stick Season’ garnered him an absolute storm of listeners and success and its impact has prolonged itself to now. The incorporation of relatable lyrics and impressive instrumentals in his music was (and still is) appealing to the general public; which is why he went from playing GA clubs to selling out amphitheaters in the span of a year. On February 9th, 2024, Noah Kahan released the long-awaited ‘Forever’ after teasing it to his fanbase months before (taking a page out of Hozier’s book in that sense). Many of his fans, myself included, were skeptical that he’d never officially release it since he promoted other works such as his collaboration with Greorgy Alan Isakov for his song ‘Paul Revere’ (which is also out now) but in late January, the singer/songwriter finally announced the song to be a legit release and people went nuts with pre-saving and counting down the days until it would be available. Now that it is ours, I’ve been given the fantastic opportunity to review the new single.
‘Stick Season (Forever)’, as described by Kahan himself, is so much more than an album. It is a journey of exponential change and comradery both for us, the listeners, and him, the artist. Forever was the final piece, so to speak, to end the chapter that is ‘Stick Season’ for Kahan’s career and there couldn’t have been a better song to punctuate the era.
Forever begins with a timbre so soft, it’s almost too much to bear. There are minimal instruments during the first minute or so, leaving just Kahan’s chilling vocals that hit listeners right in the soul. Alot of his lyrical work in the past has dealt with pain and internal battles but this piece revolves around something we all adore: love. More specifically, the hope for love. Within it, he sings “I won't be alone for the rest of my life. I'll build a boat for when the river gets high and I'll meet a girl in the heat of July and I'll tell her so she knows that I'm broke, but I'm real rich in my head; that I broke a bone that never healed in my hand so, when I hold her close I might loosen my grip, but I won't ever let her go” though each and every line is overly-beautiful on its own.
I worried that the entire track would be as saddening and tender as the beginning but my worries were put at bay around the two and a half minute mark where the vibe picks up dramatically. The guitar, drums, keys, and banjo hammers in hard alongside Kahan’s vocal tone as he recalls moments of his past and the possibilities of his future with an energy that exudes optimism in a bittersweet manner. It is a fine line to execute that successfully but he walks it like a champ.
Forever is the sheer definition of stomp and holler music; the kind of stuff that is meant to be played loudly around a warm fire in the presence of good company. That goes for most of Kahan’s work. It is familiar; like an old friend or a specific smell from the first grade that sticks with you amidst the ups, downs, and in-betweens of life. Though Forever closes the chapter of Kahan’s musical path that we’ve become so familiar with, there is only a world of possibilities that awaits us as fans and I’m confident it will be even more legendary as he blooms and blazes trails.
As of publishing, Noah is carrying out the European leg of his Stick Season Tour in places such as Berlin, London, Amsterdam, and others. Looking forward, he will continue touring in Canada and the United States along with sets at various festivals like Shaky Knees, Hinterland Fest, and SOMMO Music Fest.
Noah Kahan - Tour, Merch, Etc.