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Noah Kahan, the two-time Grammy nominee and native Vermonter, mixes indie-folk pop with elements of rock and lyrical acoustic in his new album “The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs” released in May 2026. After his sudden rise to stardom from his 2022 album “Stick Season” this album follows his struggles with his family and identity left in the wake of fame.
‘End of August’ starts this album out strong with a calming and nostalgic melody, playing with atmospheric instrumentals and prominent vocals. It gives the feeling of sitting outside on a summer evening. He writes about the transition of the seasons in comparison to the cycles of life and small towns.
‘The Great Divide’ takes on some serious soft rock elements in what I think is an exciting new direction. This ballad about the distance between two old friends explores the shared traumas and misunderstandings of childhood, and the new perspectives gained from adulthood.
‘All Them Horses’ is a mellow, folksy plead to his hometown. He sings about his fear of no longer fitting due to his fame and the loneliness that stems from that disconnect. He uses the image of drowning horses in the recent Vermont floodings to highlight the changes and the pain his loved ones have gone through without him while he is “high above us in a big jet plane.”
While this album is a lengthy 1 hour and 36 minutes with multiple songs exceeding 4 min, it is definitely worth your time. I find the themes of missing home, family, and friends incredibly relatable, especially during a time when my life is changing so drastically.
Kahan describes the sentiment of the album perfectly in a recent interview: “The songs are words I would say if I could. They are the fears I dance with in the moments before I drift off to sleep. The music here is my best attempt to delve deeper into the people, places, and feelings that made me who I am. I am grateful for all of it, for all of you, for listening to them, if you choose to do so.”
