Noah Kahan’s upcoming album “The Great Divide” is one I’m eagerly anticipating for the release of. Like with his earlier works, Stick Season and Cape Elizabeth, he creates a similar narrative around hometowns, longing, and the outdoors in the first title track of his new album. 

The music video for “The Great Divide” is a memory reel for what it feels like to return home. There are two clear storylines throughout this track. The past, which is shown through bright colors, and simple moments, reflect the optimism that the characters had towards life before. It’s a contrast to the dim lights that surround Kahan as he walks through those places years later.

This track also touches on those strong emotions that punctuate our adolescence with lyrics like “So I tried to read the thoughts that you worked over time to stop, you said fuck off and i said nothing for a while.” The quick snapshot like scenes of the characters running through parking lots with their friends, laying in the cornfields, going on a road trip, create this added layer of nostalgia. 

As the song progresses, this  atharticness is balanced with something more somber. The vocals and strumming are, too, stripped back . He accepts “You know I think about you all the time and my deep misunderstanding of your life,” The bleeding exposures frequent the second part of the music video much more, visually separating the once friends to create blurred relationships, and emotional distance.