Two boys playing together in a field, a window pane outlining the image, dark green tones overtaking the scene — this is the cover of singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s most recent single, “The Great Divide.” The scene portrayed surmises everything the track stands for: friendship, fleeting moments and guilt. After teasing “The Great Divide” on social media and performing it live back in 2024, Kahan released the title track of his upcoming album on Jan. 30. Produced by Kahan and Gabe Simon, the song’s instrumentals, vocals and lyrics weave together to create a unified aesthetic. With an emotional vulnerability reminiscent of Kahan’s “Growing Sideways” (2022) and an immersive, energetic chorus evocative of “Everywhere, Everything” (2022), “The Great Divide” encapsulates Kahan’s poignant musical style and is timeless in its tune and message.
The track begins with an upbeat folk-rock-inspired guitar before fading as Kahan’s voice slips in. “I can’t recall the last time that we talked / About anything but looking out for cops,” Kahan sings in a quiet, hollow tone. With the opening lines, Kahan begins to tell the story of a relationship weighed down by mental health struggles and corrupted by mutual toxic patterns.
“We got cigarette burns in the same side of our hands, we ain’t friends / We’re just morons, who broke skin in the same spot,” Kahan sings, noticing the parallels between himself and the other individual. He believes they are both broken in the same manner and places, but he rejects the idea that these similarities connect on a deeper level. Kahan continues, illustrating how he cannot understand the other person and their life choices. He feels haunted by his inability to handle his friend’s struggles, mirroring their distance with a lyrical avoidance of his own.
Kahan’s raspy vocals ebb and flow with each breath and bittersweet emotion he details. As Kahan dives into the chorus with building instrumentals, he attempts to atone for his past wrongdoings, wishing his friend success and redemption. “I hope you settlе down, I hope you marry rich / I hope you’re scarеd of only ordinary sh*t / Like murderers and ghosts and cancer on your skin / And not your soul and what He might do with it,” Kahan sings. Kahan does not overcompensate in his wishes, nor does he want his friend to be fearless or perfect — rather, he wishes for his friend to live an ordinary life.
After the chorus’s driving guitar, the bridge’s instrumentals calm, highlighting the complexity and contradictions of Kahan’s emotions. The bridge deepens the song’s narrative, as Kahan reflects on the distance between himself and his friend, singing, “Did you wish that I could know / That you’d fade to some place / I wasn’t brave enough to go?” Kahan ties each verse’s idea to the bridge, creating a cohesive storyline throughout the track. However, Kahan’s bridge ultimately falls flat, especially in comparison to the hefty verses and chorus, making it unmemorable.
While a strong track, “The Great Divide” is eerily reminiscent of Kahan’s 2022 album “Stick Season,” potentially foreshadowing an upcoming era that, while occurring in a different time, does not deepen Kahan’s catalogue. With its familiar focus and sound, “The Great Divide” serves as a growing warning for Kahan to innovate.
Nevertheless, “The Great Divide” finds Kahan at his best. The singer-songwriter approaches the world — and his friendships — with kindness. He accepts what he cannot change, working to release the grief and guilt he carries through vivid scene-setting and introspection. The track, while peaceful, bursts with emotion in every line, marking it a musical feat and a shining star in Kahan’s discography.
Amelia Bush (28C) is double-majoring in English and PPL (philosophy, politics and law). She is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and enjoys walking around its many lakes. Outside of the Wheel, you can find her reading, scrapbooking, or attempting a New York Times crossword.
