Noah Kahan strikes again with deeply personal, cathartic ‘The Great Divide’
In his fourth studio album, Noah Kahan reflects on past troubles and hurtful relationships. Each song on "The Great Divide" is packed with raw, honest lyrics, our columnist says. Kendall Thompson | Contributing Illustrator
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My friends and I set out some chairs on our front porch, turned on our speakers and buckled in for Noah Kahan’s latest album “The Great Divide.”
Kahan’s album kept me engrossed through all 17 songs and even four additional releases from the extended version of the album. The album delivers on Kahan’s promises via TikTok of creating a sad soundtrack for his listeners’ summers.
Released on Friday, “The Great Divide” examines the fallout in the wake of an emotionally intimate relationship — whether that be with a parent, friend or romantic partner. Kahan’s poetic lyricism, bluegrassy banjo and scream-out-your-car-window-worthy choruses haven’t changed since his last release in 2022 and I’m so happy they haven’t.
The album’s opening track, “End of August,” is among my favorite tracks to ever begin an album. The instrumental beginning immediately put me in a calm, reflective mood, ready to hear whatever hard-hitting story Kahan was telling with the album. The track is stripped down and acoustic but incredibly soulful, and isn’t a throwaway like other instrumental intro tracks tend to be.
As someone who enjoys running to Kahan’s music, “Doors” was exactly the type of song I was hoping to hear on this album. The strong beat builds gradually to the crescendo of the powerful chorus.
Kahan’s questions — “Have you ever stared directly at the sun? / Have you ever shared some closeness, so exposed / To have it spit back by someone?” — set up a main theme in the album of broken trust and the challenge of starting over after a difficult relationship.
Kahan is open and honest, acknowledging that he is creating reasons for a new relationship to fail and always jumping to the worst conclusion.
In conversation with the earlier track, “Downfall” is Kahan’s reflection of a hurtful past love. It stands out as one of my favorites on the album. It’s for the loyal Instagram story stalkers who crave seeing their ex worse off.
“Keep my ear up to the doorframe / And I’ll keep rootin’ for your downfall,” Kahan sings, representing the conflict between wanting someone back and knowing that being together is a bad choice. The “downfall” Kahan is rooting for is a return to their toxic relationship.
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On my first listen, I was missing some of the quieter, mellow tracks that I love from Kahan’s earlier discography, like “Maine” or “Pain Is Cold Water” (which I was really hoping to see officially released on this album).
“Lighthouse” and “Orbiter” delivered that fix for me, giving Kahan’s vocals some space to slow down and echo. Not every song can be a fast-paced banjo ballad, and the album needed these more mellow tracks to balance it out.
Though I love how Kahan’s songs tend to build slowly, “Paid Time Off” started to overuse this format. The song doesn’t pick up until almost 1:30, and the rest of it doesn’t deliver enough punch to make up for it.
The title track “The Great Divide” and “Porch Light” released as singles ahead of the album’s debut in January and March, respectively, became instant staples in my song rotation. Kahan took his time releasing this album, and it shows in his strong lyricism with lines like “I hope you’re with someone who isn’t scared to ask.”
Kahan finds ways to put the feeling of missing someone into cathartic new words. He packs a lot of meaning into each line, and I love that it takes a few listens to really grasp his metaphors and imagery. This album is full of songs that can stay on repeat long enough for that to happen.
“Haircut” and “Deny Deny Deny” show an angrier side of Kahan’s emotional world. “Deny Deny Deny” starts strong out of the gate with a Bruce Springsteen-esque guitar that’s more electric than Kahan’s normal sound. The full sound of the song works well in representing the wide breadth of experiences and history Kahan references in the song, reflecting on a past with a parent full of anger and miscommunication.
The hyperspecific details Kahan includes in songs, like “I’ll get your house paid off so the Feds can’t touch it,” make his tracks feel deeply personal but also realistic and relatable. That touch is especially present in “Headed North,” which is timestamped with references to cybertrucks and “Coexist” bumper stickers. Kahan’s cultural sarcasm peeks through in this more lighthearted song.
“All Them Horses” has been stuck in my head since I heard a snippet of it from Kahan’s TikTok account. The rest of the song was as beautiful as I expected and sets up Kahan’s vulnerable chorus perfectly, reflecting the pain of struggling through something while far from home.
Though “The Great Divide” stays fairly consistent with Kahan’s typical sound style, it’s one I’m happy to hear again. There’s enough novelty to keep the album fresh, but the elements fans love about the proud East Coaster haven’t changed. Each song is packed with lyrics that feel honest and raw. I can’t wait to keep this album on repeat this summer.
