There are two Dear Noras; the younger, louder, twee-rock version and the quieter, gentler version the band eventually morphed into. “On To September” bridges the gap between the (wait for it) summery sound of early Dear Nora and the distinctly autumnal later incarnation. It’s easily the most accessible and upbeat track on The New Year, and the lyrics wouldn’t sound out of place on any of their early EPs—witness the continuing fascination with youth and age: “Twenty-three over / I turn it around and get seventy-seven / ’till I turn one hundred / ’till I turn one hundred / I’m holding my breath that I’ll never turn one hundred years.” It’s a last gasp for the Dear Nora of old, serving as the bookend opposite from “Up On The Roof”’s “I’ve been around for twenty years / I added one for all my effort / and now I plan to disappear forever.”