Album Review: ‘The Great Divide’ by Noah Kahan
Photo credit: Noah Kahan
Review by Karlee Lyons
An album that holds nothing back, The Great Divide by Noah Kahan is an incredible return for the artist. His 4th studio album and the first since the wild success of Stick Season which rocketed him into the mainstream in 2022/2023 and gave him his first GRAMMY nomination. The Great Divide had a lot riding on its shoulders pre-release and I think it delivers on everything that it promised within its 17 tracks. Much like Stick Season, this is a very personal record that delves into the same small town life but this time, post-fame, and gives us an insight into what Noah thinks the perception of him is. This is clearly a very sentimental album that is seeping in nostalgia and reflection on life. This is the type of album that would be on repeat in my car for a summertime road trip specifically with songs like the opening track “End Of August" which starts with a very soft, sweet sounding guitar before breaking into the chorus and opening up. It sounds free, the kind of free that would get you a speeding ticket for going 90 in a 35. It was a perfect choice for the opener as it sets the stage for the mix of acoustic and rock inspired sounds to follow.
Photo credit: Noah Kahan
Another summertime sounding song is track 3: “American Cars” which has a very fun and danceable tune if you ignore the more gut-wrenching lyrics. But those lyrics are something that really makes the album and Noah as an artist feel so vulnerable. His lyricism has always been a strong suit in his work and there's some real heavy hitters throughout this album, a couple standouts include:
“Oh I wish you could know me. And I wish I could know you much more sometimes”
Track 8: “Willing And Able”
“Cause if I never see you again, you could be anything i want”
Track 10: “23”
“Leave the pain you can't solve
with the folks you let down- it'll
hurt half as much if you drive twice as fast”
Track 9: “Dashboard”
(a personal favorite of mine and a spiritual successor to another of Kahan’s songs, “You’re Gonna Go Far”
“Have you ever stared directly at the sun? Have you ever shared some closeness, so exposed, to
have it spit back by someone. So forgive me if I jump, at the rattle of your keys. Are you leaving? No babe, I'm just waking up.”
Track 2: “Doors”
“And it's gone to — without you, it was — before but at least I had you. No, there ain't nothing to report but i hope your bored and headed north”
Track 13: “Headed North”
But the real standout of this album for me is track 7: “Haircut”, which takes us out of Noah’s point of view and gives us the deepest insight into what Noah believes people think about him. It's clear that he thinks people view him as someone holier than a celebrity now. They think he rolls in and out of town as he pleases to get inspiration for his music with no regard for anyone else in lines like “You ain’t a damn hero now ‘cause you cry on live TV.”
“But at least I’ve got a soul still, even if I'm in a bad place”
“I’m happy for your haircut, I'm glad you got your act clean. Your showing up like bad news and leaving like a bad dream”
“Ain’t nobody mistaking your guilt for some great sacrifice” “Got bored of the New Hampshire space and left us for the New York Times”
“Help me if it helps you sleep. Help me if it helps you write. Help me if it helps you leave”
But “Haircut” isn't the only track with lines like this. They are scattered all over the album. Perception and reflection are both key points of the album, another line that i think plays into the perception Noah (I’m sure incorrectly) holds for himself comes from track 16: “All Them Horses”, “I’m a sidewalk preacher with a record deal” and it's one of my favorite lines of The Great Divide.
Photo credit: Noah Kahan
I cannot do this album justice as my writing is nowhere near as good as Noah's. It truly is worth the listen, even for people who have never listened to Noah. It works not only for fans of the artist but as a great entry point for newcomers. It doesn't hold your hand, you're thrown straight into the deep end here and it's for the best.
There were many songs I didn't even mention at risk of this review being novel length. Overall, The Great Divide is an incredible return for Noah Kahan, it is beautiful both sonically and lyrically and features a real rawness and vulnerability that is seemingly absent from a lot of modern music, This album's heart is worn on its sleeve. You can feel the years put into this thing and for that I give it high praise.
Listen to The Great Divide now and stay updated with Noah Kahan!
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