Kaitlin Cassady "North Star" Album Review
Review by: Katy Tessman, Writer @summit.presents
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Sophomore albums carry a certain weight. Too often, they either collapse under the expectations of a promising debut or play it safe, recycling old sounds without adding new depth. North Star, arriving just one year after Kaitlin Cassady’s debut Home Away From Home, charts a different path entirely, doubling down on ambition while carving out a voice that feels fully her own.
Drawn from songs written over several years and recorded in Cassady’s home studios in California and Minnesota, the album feels remarkably cohesive despite its long creative arc. Across ten tracks of jazz-inflected folk-pop, warm harmonies, adventurous chord progressions, subtle strings, and a voice that sounds equal parts confessional and quietly confident, Cassady plays nearly every instrument herself, with Paul Cassady on bass and Milo Weil on cello and violin. The result is a record that feels deeply personal and deliberately understated, leaning into its stripped-down intimacy rather than chasing grandiose production. The focus stays on Cassady’s songwriting and voice, letting quiet arrangements and subtle textures carry the emotional weight.
The Glow of “Golden Hour”
Early in the album comes “Golden Hour,” a track written, as Cassady explains, “on a trip back home. It’s about having a love/hate relationship with your hometown but ultimately appreciating where you’re from.” That ambivalence comes through in the song itself: the verses carry a sense of tension, like someone retracing old streets with mixed feelings. When the chorus arrives, the music opens up, brighter tones, an easy, unhurried rhythm, and harmonies on the bridge that draw the listener in like sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky.
It’s not a nostalgic song. Cassady doesn’t romanticize home; she wrestles with it, turns it over in her hands, and only then offers gratitude. That complexity makes “Golden Hour” one of the album’s standouts: a song that recognizes how messy our roots can be but still finds beauty in the ground they give us.
The Dark Heart of “Melancholy Daydreams”
If “Golden Hour” glows, “Melancholy Daydreams” dives into shadow. Cassady doesn’t soften the subject matter: “This song is about major depression, suicidal ideations, and wanting more out of life. It’s about wanting to be heard in a world full of noise. It’s about wanting to be appreciated and loved.”
“Melancholy Daydreams” is also my favorite song on the album. The track begins with sparse piano chords and hushed vocals, each line carrying a kind of trembling vulnerability. Then come the harmonies, layer after layer of Cassady’s own voice, as though the song itself is reaching outward, refusing to disappear beneath the static.
What makes “Melancholy Daydreams” so affecting is its refusal to wrap things up neatly. There’s no false uplift, no tidy resolution waiting in the final chorus. Instead, Cassady holds the song open, letting its pain stay unvarnished.
Musically, it’s restrained but never lifeless: cello lines drift in the background, percussion pulses softly under the surface, everything circling that central ache. It’s the record’s most devastating moment—and it's most unforgettable.
The Title Track: “North Star”
Placed near the center of the album, the title track arrives like a quiet declaration. Cassady says, “This song was unintentionally written as a message for myself and my son. It’s about staying true to yourself and following your heart even when it feels like the world doesn’t care about you or your art.”
The arrangement mirrors that sentiment: it starts small—just voice and piano—before slowly adding strings, percussion, and harmonies until the song feels like it’s lifting off the ground. The lyrics never shout their message; they carry it gently, like prayer offered across a kitchen table rather than a podium.
As the strings and harmonies swell near the end, “North Star” becomes more than just the title track—it’s the album’s thesis. In a record full of questioning, wandering, and longing, here is a song pointing toward something steady, something worth following even when the map disappears.
A Record of Contrasts
What keeps North Star compelling across all ten tracks is its balance of darkness and light. Cassady doesn’t shy away from hard subjects—mental health, trauma, loss—but neither does she bury the record in gloom. Joy slips in through love songs like “Past, Present, Future.” Humor and warmth flicker through “Time of My Life.” Even the heaviest songs carry moments of melodic beauty, like sunlight on rough water.
Musically, the album leans on Cassady’s jazz-inspired chord changes and vocal harmonies, but its backbone is folk storytelling and pop melody. Songs wander through unexpected keys, rhythms shift subtly between verses and choruses, yet nothing feels experimental for its own sake. Every choice serves the lyric, the mood, the story.
Final Thoughts
With North Star, Kaitlin Cassady avoids the sophomore slump entirely. It’s a record unafraid of vulnerability, of beauty, of speaking plainly about things most people keep buried. By weaving her own experiences into melodies that feel both personal and universal, Cassady invites listeners not just to hear her songs but to find themselves inside them.
You can follow Kaitlin Cassady on Instagram @cassakait and listen to North Star on Spotify, and Bandcamp. Her upcoming shows are listed on her website: kaitlincassady.com
