Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide” Demonstrates a Newfound Artistic Longevity

“The Great Divide” welcomes listeners into Noah Kahan’s therapy session as he takes each song and writes from the perspective of someone from his past. He confronts the “great divide” that separates his folks, friends, exes, and even his home state of Vermont because of his newfound fame.

Four years after the release of his hit album “Stick Season,” Kahan released his newest album, “The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs,” on April 25. This extended release album features 21 songs of emotional turmoil and New England specificity.

For listeners who don’t pay attention to the lyrics and are only looking for the chorus to shout at the concert, wearing their white, flowy skirts and “Jesus sandals,” this album feels repetitive. But for those who sit down and listen to the album and understand every lyric, they see the struggle Kahan is facing with his sudden rise in fame.

The song “Porch Light,” written from the perspective of an old friend of Kahan’s, shows his struggle with continuing this career even though “whatever made you famous made you sick.” From the perspective of a sibling, “Willing and Able” approaches the strained relationship he has with leaving his New England home for touring and producing. “Look at you leavin’ again; it’s all you know how to do,” he sings. “And I’ll see you again in six months when you need your next song.”

Vocally and instrumentally, this album shows Kahan is making a conscious effort to step beyond his pop phenomenon song, “Stick Season,” and shows that he is more than a stomp-clap folk-pop singer.

Kahan still brings out his typical acoustic guitar picking throughout the album, most notably in “Downfall.” The use of synth, organ, and mandolin in “Lighthouse” creates the deep hollowing feeling of a gloomy day out by the lighthouse. “Paid Time Off” includes a hummed bridge that makes you feel like you’re gathered around a campfire and someone broke out a guitar.

To perfectly depict the power and intensity of the album, the song with the same name, “The Great Divide,” outshines the rest of the songs with its high energy. Kahan’s vocals billow out against the more electric instruments while also giving way for the guitar solos to enhance the message of the song and overall album.

In the end, Kahan doesn’t just invite listeners to the therapy session; he hands us the bill and forces us to deal with the therapy hangover. Through “The Great Divide,” he is showing us that he isn’t just a viral “pop phenomenon”anymore. Instead, he shows through his style and lyricism that he is bridging the gap between who he was before “Stick Season” and who he is turning into after.