On April 24, Noah Kahan released his new and highly anticipated album “The Great Divide”. This is his fourth main studio album.
I have been a fan of Kahan since I was a senior in high school, his last album “Stick Season” shaped the years of 2023-2024 for me. My favorite song on that album was “Northern Attitude”, which is all about being guarded due to your upbringing.
The whole album reflects relationships, self-exploration and anxiety, so of course 18-year-old angsty me loved it. I was stepping into adulthood, and making way for the next chapter in my life; “Stick Season” was the perfect transitional album.
Two weeks before the album release, Kahan posted on his socials “I do not care about the weather you will be sad this summer.” I put this to the test, and on release day I listened to the entirety of his new album.
“The Great Divide: Last of The Bugs”
Kahan was right, despite how beautiful it is outside this album will in fact make you sad. However, there’s so much more than just that.
“The Great Divide: Last of The Bugs” is the deluxe version of the album, which has four bonus songs compared to the original version of the album. This came out on April 25, a day after the original album was released.
The collection of songs tell a story, similar to Kahan’s previous album. They share themes of mental health, feeling stuck where your roots are, and self-exploration. However, there’s something grown up about “The Great Divide.”
It talks about how different life is now that he has become famous. It also speaks on strained relationships, generational trauma and love. It’s a grown up version of “Stick Season”, and it has a little something for everyone.
It is a gut wrenching album. It is full of heart, paired with emotional vocals and indie-folk instrumentals. However, it doesn’t just “make you sad”, it is fulfilling and nostalgic.
My top picks from the album
While I enjoyed the album as a whole, there were three songs that really stuck out to me.
“Doors”
“Doors” sits second on Kahan’s album. It’s a song all about being afraid to open up and feeling emotionally unavailable. You see this in the chorus, specifically with the lyrics “I keep showing you doors, but you can’t open them up / ‘Cause it gets harder to see me the closer you try to look.”
I thought this song was raw, coming from someone who used to feel this way. And when you get hit with the belt in the second verse, the lyrics “Have you ever stared directly at the sun / Have you ever shared some closeness, so exposed / To have it spit back by someone”. It encapsulates the frustration that comes with feeling so guarded. When listening, it makes you want to yell the vocals right back.
“Dan”
Now this one hit in a much different way. This song is about how Kahan would love to just be spending time with his best friend in the great outdoors. I felt that more than anything after not being able to go hiking with my best friend since high school.
This song sits last on the album because it’s the “happy” song of the album. It follows after 20 songs describing how Kahan either gets hurt by others or himself. This describes how there’s love in a best friendship, and the nature surrounding you.
“The Great Divide”
The title track was originally released as a single, teasing the upcoming album. I listened to this song as an ex-best friend.
“The Great Divide” is all about growing apart, and regretting that emotional distance. Lyrics from the pre-chorus show the emotional depth of this piece. “You know I think about you all the time / And my deepest understanding of your life.”
Following is the chorus, which wishes the person they’re estranged from nothing but the best. It’s a beautiful song that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with the lyrics, and the instrumentals.
