Noah Kahan - The Great Divide Album
After years of silence when it comes to releases, Noah Kahan has brought us his fourth studio album, The Great Divide. This full-length LP was nothing short of perfect not only in its musicality, but also its lyricism and promotion. Showcasing Kahan's true talent for authentic folk music through and through.
Stick Season, released in 2022, has really kept the folk industry moving, and skyrocketed Kahan right into the mainstream music scene. Following this success, he sold out stadiums, and hinted at new releases for quite some time. After the announcement of The Great Divide, fans were ecstatic to see how Kahan's sound would shift upon his newfound fame. However, fans were absolutely not disappointed upon the album's release, record stores all across the country held early listening parties, as well as handing out posters the day of the record's release.
When it comes to comparing this album to Stick Season, where his sound was truly established, there is nothing to see but growth. Lyrically and sonically, this album has achieved a new level of maturity that reflects greatly on Kahan’s ever-growing fanbase.
The title track, The Great Divide, was the first track off the album to be released as a single, and it surely came in with a bang. Upon first listen, this track has powerful lyricism revolving around religious trauma, and is by far one of the most sonically moving and powerful tracks on the album, a perfect single. The chorus was shared rapidly across social media, growing the anticipation for the album.
Once the album was released, it was clear that this album did indeed reflect growth, and also the dark side of that growth. Many of the tracks on this album depicted feeling disconnected from your roots, how others may perceive you after you “abandon” them for something greater, etc. Kahan has spoken out numerous times about his struggle with feeling disconnected from his family and his home state of Vermont. His relatability and irony within his gut-wrenching tracks create a wide range of appeal. Kahan is truly a natural lyricist, with the ability to churn out hit after hit with such grace.
Some of the top tracks off of the album from first listen: Dashboard, Porch Light, The Great Divide, Deny Deny Deny, and All Them Horses. These tracks are all vulnerable, lyrically complex, and create a strong sense of connection with the listener. When it comes to weak tracks on the album, there isn't one. It’s rare within new releases nowadays, that the industry sees an album with not a single skip. Especially with Kahan becoming a mainstream artist, collaborating with artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Hozier, he has stayed true to his roots and maintained a level of maturity in his music that is nearly unmatched in the modern folk industry.
