Similar artists: Gregory Alan Isakov, Hozier, Searows, Lord Huron
Recommended tracks: “Lighthouse,” “Paid Time Off,” “We Go Way Back,” “Orbiter”
Four long years after the release of his groundbreaking album Stick Season, Noah Kahan unites “the last of the bugs” together in his spectacular fourth studio album, The Great Divide.
With pre-released singles “The Great Divide” and “Porch Light,” the 17-track album (or 21-tracked if you listened to The Last of the Bugs edition) delves into themes of success and its riffling effects on Kahan’s relationships with friends, family, his home state, and even himself — as explored in the Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body.
Opening with the ruminating sounds of a summery Vermont, “End of August” sets the nostalgic tone for the album.
Following soon after, “Lighthouse” brings about a sense of reclaiming memories lost to destruction, like a house being replaced by a building to attract tourists. It’s an ode to Kahan’s fight to carry on the legacy of a loved one who has potentially moved away and the childhood they shared: “I still hear your name from some of the local guys/ said they always place you for the leavin’ type / But I look out, at the wreckage of you / for as long as there’s light, for as long as you last / I curse ’em all out, when they f*** up your story / I tell it the way that you told me.”
“Paid Time Off” shares a heartwarming reunion between Kahan and an old friend who’s back in town. Hanging out once again, something shifts in the atmosphere; there’s a knowing sense of inevitable change, yet he wants to stay in the warmth of familiarity.
Traveling further into the album, “We Go Way Back” sounds like a desperate call, a yearning, from the inner parts of Kahan’s mind. He remembers the feelings he had for an old friend, wanting nothing more but to forget the life of success and fame in favor of just living happily with that person and becoming “somebody”: “And I don’t need my name back, throw my notebook in the basement / Oh, I love you, and I can’t fake that for a moment / we go way back, we go way back.”
Bringing the album closer to its end, “Orbiter” is a hearty acoustic tune with a melancholic undertone. Kahan struggles to come to terms with a strange feeling of isolation that reared its head with his newfound success and the loss of himself. In addition to the alienation he feels, this song can also be interpreted as a longing to go home to a loved one, be it a partner, a friend, or his family: “This ain’t Watertown, I’m on alien ground / I’m a college kid with my windows down / I’m an astronaut, you’re the Moon / I stare at you, I sing to you / I circle you.”
You can stream the full album now as Kahan gears up for his biggest tour yet with special guests Gigi Perez and Annabelle Dinda this summer. The North American dates are fully sold out.
However, he will also be taking this tour to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the UK. Tickets are available for those dates here.
The Great Divide North America Tour Dates:
6.11 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center*
6.12 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center*
6.26 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park*^
6.28 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium*^
7.1 – Cincinnati, OH – Great American Ball Park*^
7.3 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park*^
7.7 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*^
7.8 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*^
7.10 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*^
7.11 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*^
7.14 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field*^
7.15 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field*^
7.18 – Queens, NY – Citi Field*^
7.19 – Queens, NY – Citi Field*^
7.22 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park*^
7.25 – Raleigh, NC – Carter-Finley Stadium*^
7.27 – Atlanta, GA – Truist Park*^
7.30 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field*^
8.2 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium*^
8.5 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Field*^
8.8 – Denver, CO – Coors Field*^
8.9 – Denver, CO – Coors Field*^
8.15 – Pasadena, CA – Rose Bowl Stadium*^
8.17 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park*^
8.19 – Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field*^
8.21 – San Francisco, CA – Oracle Park*^
8.25 – Sandy, UT – America First Field*^
8.28 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place*^
8.30 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park*^
8.31 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park*^
*with Gigi Perez
^with Annabelle Dinda
AUS/NZ (tickets here):
9.25 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, AUS
9.26 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, AUS
10.2 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, AUS
10.3 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, AUS
10.9 – Spark Arena – Aukland, NZ
UK/EU dates (tickets here):
11.5 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK
11.6 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK
11.9 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK
11.10 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK
11.13 – The O2 – London, UK
11.14 – The O2 – London, UK
11.21 – 3Arena – Dublin, IE
11.22 – 3Arena – Dublin, IE
11.25 – Hallenstadion – Zurich, CH
11.26 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne, DE
11.28 – Royal Arena – Copenhagen, DK
11.29 – Avicii Arena – Stockholm, SE
12.1 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL
12.2 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL
12.4 – Olympiahalle – Munich, DE
12.7 – Accor Arena – Paris, FR
Keep up with Noah Kahan: Instagram // Spotify // Facebook // X // TikTok // Youtube // Website
