If Noah Kahan’s new album, The Great Divide, were a smell, it would be the smell of sprinklers going off in the neighborhood you grew up in: rich, earthy, youthful and deeply nostalgic.
The Great Divide, released on April 24, is Kahan’s first album since his breakout album, Stick Season, was released in 2022. While Stick Season was mostly a reflection of Kahan’s experience growing up in New England, The Great Divide feels more like him reckoning with the fame that he has gained over the past four years. Songs like “Orbiter” and “Haircut” tell the story of how his fame has changed his relationship with his family and his own mental health. Kahan writes about how he felt losing the Grammy Award for best new artist in 2024 and the guilt he felt after the success of Stick Season because of how many people began visiting his hometown of Strafford, Vt., because of the album.
The album also relies heavily on stories about his family, even some from the perspective of his parents. One of the singles on the album, “Porch Light,” is sung from the perspective of Kahan’s mother about how his mental health struggles hurt her and the rest of their family when he was growing up. Kahan writes about his relationship with his siblings and the pain and rancor he felt when they left.
The song “Dashboard” expresses a sense of anger and betrayal towards someone, presumably a sibling, who has left. This directly parallels Kahan’s song “You’re Gonna Go Far” from his Stick Season album. In “You’re Gonna Go Far,” he sings about pride for someone leaving and a hope for a better future, whereas Dashboard is the resentment he feels for the same situation.
Taken as a whole, this album masterfully combines the gut-wrenching lyrics that Kahan is known for, with unique and engaging folk guitar melodies. And while much of the album focuses on a devastating sense of loneliness, songs like “Dan,” “American Cars” and “Paid Time Off” provide a sense of hope for the listener.
Kahan uses non-musical sound throughout the album. The opening track, “End of August,” begins with the sound of cicadas, making you feel like you are sitting on a front porch at dusk. He also has ad-libs at the beginning and end of some songs, reminding the listener that, behind the music and fame, Noah is earnestly human.
Ultimately, in The Great Divide, Noah Kahan tells a story of love, loss and enduring hope, creating a beautiful addition to his discography.