Noah Kahan's fourth album, The Great Divide, finds the singer-songwriter treading familiar ground, consolidating the sound that made Stick Season a breakout success. Co-produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, the album opens with a lambent piano figure and misty ambience that immediately signals Dessner's touch. While there is slightly less Mumford & Sons influence and more heartland rock, the differences are subtle, and the album largely repeats the formula of its predecessor.
Autumnal Themes and Small-Town Narratives
The album's autumnal qualities are evident from the opening track, End of August, and the cover art featuring bare trees. Kahan continues to explore small-town life, with characters like the couple in Paid Time Off who declare, 'someone said there’s a world out there, but we don’t care to drive that far.' The protagonist of Downfall greets his partner's new haircut with suspicion, noting it makes her 'look quite Californian,' and later snaps, 'call me when it turns to shit.' Dashboard counsels against the belief that 'crossing state lines' can change someone completely: 'you’re an asshole after all.' Kahan also reflects on his own success, singing, 'Some small fame ain’t made me someone else' and 'I’m betting on the north to drag my ass back down to earth.'
Strengths and Weaknesses
Kahan's strengths as a lyricist and melodist are evident. Even on the raging Deny Deny Deny, there is a sweet melody, and his attention to detail avoids the blustery generalities of some peers. However, The Great Divide suffers from its length: 17 tracks suggest uncertainty about where to edit rather than a desire to make a grand statement. The album sags in the middle, with no drastic variation in approach, and listeners' attention may wander before the tastefully understated sing-along chorus of the finale.
In the playlist era, where listening to albums from start to finish is less common, this excess may be overlooked. Yet while The Great Divide is unlikely to fail, it may not replicate Stick Season's monumental success. Watching Kahan's documentary Out of Body, one wonders if he might be happier if things calmed down, allowing him to hone his small-town vignettes and take more risks without the weight of vast expectation.
Conclusion
The Great Divide is a consolidation album that sticks closely to Kahan's proven formula. For fans of Stick Season, it offers more of the same autumnal wistfulness and small-town stories, but its length and lack of development may leave others wanting.
