With his unique style of deep lyrics and folk-pop beats that I rarely see elsewhere in mainstream music, Noah Kahan became an instant favorite artist of mine summers ago. Kahan’s music to me can only be described as perfect for a hike or any adventure in the car, peak “granola” music. After waiting years for new music from Kahan, “The Great Divide” blew me away in more ways than one. Through powerful lyrics, immersive sounds and the feeling of having the experiences as if they were my own, I went on a journey in itself by listening to the album as a whole.
With 17 songs and a little over an hour of music, Kahan takes you on an emotional journey of his own life. “The Great Divide” showcases how it felt to grow famous and succeed far from home, and the feeling of separation that he felt from his past life. The title “The Great Divide” represents that gap he feels, and how going back home can feel disconnected from what it used to be before he “made it.” His lyrics show how it feels to be an outsider in your own hometown and what it’s like to grow apart from friends from years ago. It explores themes of transitioning in life, knowing who you are now and the version of yourself you left behind. The album feels like a callback to Kahan’s song “You’re Gonna Go Far” from his album “Stick Season,” released in 2022, and how it feels after going far like he did.
The album opens with the song “End of August,” which sets the tone of the album and immerses into the atmosphere of Kahan’s story. With sounds of crickets and a sole piano riff, you understand immediately what that end of summer feels like. He uses that metaphor of the end of summer to show how jolting the emotional end of something can be. He uses the lyrics to bring you into the story and emotion with lyrics of “everything you see out here will die, it’s only a matter of time.” The song felt reminiscent of old times, but with a melancholic tone, which is how the album as a whole seemed to feel. While the tones throughout the album felt comforting, there was jolting emotion and nostalgia within the lyrics when you dive deeper, making the album feel bittersweet— how Kahan feels in this life transition. He wowed me with the way he immersed us in his own life, making the music feel the same way his heart did when experiencing this separation from his past life and hometown.
My favorite song from the album has to be “American Cars,” track three on the album, which Kahan debuted on his recent NPR Tiny Desk performance April 21. From the first listen, the song is an immediate earworm. I watched the performance over and over again, having the song stuck in my head for days. “American Cars” is the first song on the album that feels like you could dance to it, but has powerfully emotional lyrics behind it. The chorus explores coming home to unknown changed things that you hadn’t known about when you were away, with lyrics like, “headlights, your plates, 4C3BA, didn’t know you drove American cars.” Later in the song, he talks more about coming home to friends struggling in life and falling behind. In the lyrics, “I hate to drag you back here, but I think he’s really lost it,” Kahan talks of his friend whom he sees needing help. I was so enthralled by how the song added another layer of Kahan’s experience going back home and feeling like a stranger, but also how the beat and vocals got me tapping my foot and jumping around my room.
Something I love about the album is the craftsmanship of alternating between upbeat songs and slower, melancholic ones. You really feel like you’re on your own emotional adventure while listening in order. One song will have a quick-strumming guitar and fast drums that get you up on your feet, while the next song will be have a gentle guitar plucking with an emphasis on powerful vocals. I think this really shows how much of a rollercoaster we go on in life with our emotions, and how Kahan felt when he blew up in popularity following the release of “Stick Season” in 2022. While his music’s perfect for adventuring, it’s taking you on an adventure on its own just by you listening. I’d be listening to “Deny Deny Deny” that felt more angsty and darker tones, and go right into a transition into a slow and steady ‘Headed North’ that started with just a solo, calm guitar.
The album closes out with “Dan,” a song that represents the album as a whole and the story we’ve been listening to all along. Kahan reflects on the end of a friendship from years ago and the experience of looking back on the fracture of important relationships from his past. Dan represents the friend in our lives who knows everything about us and we spend all of our time with, and how hard it can be to let go of that and leave it behind. The song is an ode to that friendship, with warm and comforting guitar and sounds, giving the comfort of spending the summer with a best friend. It ends the album on a positive and reflective note, inviting listeners to look around and cherish the friendships and experiences we have in the present.
In the end, Noah Kahan has made me a very happy fan this spring, and my playlist is stacked for many adventures (and cries) this summer. The album cherishes the classic sound of Noah Kahan while showcasing his growth as a human in his musical success. The album is a splendid tribute to life in all forms, and moving forward and reflecting on what’s behind.
“The Great Divide:” ★★★★★
