Noah Kahan's 'Out of Body' & 'The Great Divide' Album'

Noah Kahan's an authentic modern folk singer, reawakened over the response fans feel through his music. Emotionally overcoming mental health struggles, he's ready to move on positively with his Vermont family backing him up. Two new projects presenting his stories are Netflix documentary Noah Kahan: Out of Body, and deluxe album The Great Divide: The Last Of The Bugs. Following up from episode 8's review of the title track, I now reveal my thoughts of both finished works.

Apple Music's page and interviews.

SNL Season 51 finale schedules.

Jess also recommends:

Music Notes with Jess episodes: Ed Sheeran Top 11, Jelly Roll Bio & Top 3 Hits

Documentaries: The Sum of It All, Jelly Roll: Save Me, Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother Hileel,

Music Media Review episodes: Megan Moroney's 'Cloud 9', Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ella Langley's 'Dandelion'

Aaron Dessner's discography/production credits.

Bon Iver (Justin Vernon)

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Theme Song: "Gym Track (2026 Remix)", composed by Jessica Ann Catena

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Music Media Review, a weekly podcast critiquing headlines about the industry. I'm Jess. Been having fun voicing my opinion for these episodes, and I'm delighted over the outreach received by listeners and fans. That's my intention, and it really makes me happy to see it grow in harmony. Lots of great things came out early 2026. One of the biggest outpour I've got on music media reviews TikTok is mentioning folk singer Noah Khan filming a self-documentary. The Great Divides title track has broken more records since episode 8, so I had to follow through now watching Netflix documentary Noah Khan Out of Body and listen to the Great Divide's Deluxe album. Both are what I imagine in making his fan base so proud. So let's get to my reveals on Music Media Review. Awarded a month prior at South by Southwest, winning the 24 beats per second Audience Award. The festival committee curated that category, combining 24 frames being the average in filmmaking, and adding beats per second to classify music in the criteria. That's very creative, and how cool giving attendees the power to vote after exclusively screening it there. NoahCon's indie full career blew up from posting TikTok videos this decade, candidly coping mental health struggles and family issues. Grateful leading a lost genre to modern audiences, out of body breaks down privacy is concealed until he felt ready. Director Nick Sweeney interviewed Stratford, Vermont locals, Noah's siblings, parents, fiance, featured his home life, home movie clips, taped 2024 tour performances at Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park. Watching everything was casually eye-opening, showcasing widespread support. Honestly, that's what helped deciding to talk on camera, not Netflix's monetary offer. Humbly living day-to-day is the essence draw fans emotionally connect in Noah Khan's demeanor. The out-of-body experience focuses on self-esteem, adapting from remote rural environments to working the music industry and handling the feedback. I found it uplifting seeing him mend childhood issues as a middle child, his parents raising him best of their abilities, amicably cheering after divorcing, and overcoming uneasy things through instincts. We learned that Noah moved to Nashville with Brennan, his then fiance, now wife, to be closer recording in the studio, but mutually the couple seek out a second house back north, revisiting their New England roots. Vermont's landscapes are so picturesque, can't compete with city and industrialization living anywhere else. Locals admit the winters are rough, though the natural beauty and quietness is breathtaking. Brent is a perfect match for Noah staying by his side and confidently knowing he could get through anything. Nothing stage or melodramatic, authenticity makes up out-of-body and informative 90-minute profile. What stuck out to me was Noah remorsefully not asking his parents' permission if they were okay, he wrote and documented their unit stories. Loving they all are, his father Josh plays guitar, revere the man Noah's become, and willing to help others doing Busyhead's mental health nonprofit organization. Lori's a proud mom who listens to Noah's songs all the time and says it's humanizing for them. Compared to the influx music documentaries released nowadays, two came to my mind during Out of Bodies viewing Disney's The Sum of It All with Ed Sharon and Hulu's Jelly Roll Save Me. I reviewed both on my previous podcast, Music Notes with Jess in 2023. Ed Sharon grieved his best friend Jamal's overdose, and wife Cherry had a tumor removed from her arm while making a new album. Ed's life is just as mellow as Noah's, only uses an iPad to communicate emails and calls. Jelly Roll advocates substance and mental health support. His bad Apples fanbase emotionally get moved behind the scenes and the crowds. A family tearfully credits Jelly Roll's music dealing tragedy and a meet and greet. He reversed the compliment, wishing them well. Noah did the same thing hosting a private make-a-wish meeting with the young girl hysterically crying. Her reaction is so powerful, can't even describe how crucial it meant to them and her guardian. Shaping up a year and a half, filming 2024 to 2025, rehearsing the Great Divides tracks, Bridget's current chapter for followers to venture next. Here's how the album lays out. I heard the songs before watching out of body, expecting a personal shift that the title track and porchlight teased. Noah's vocals reverb in stereo conducting mostly falsetto range, lively, fast-paced folk temples, fitting alternative rock and the pop wave now joining acoustically. Melodically, I imagined Vermont's countryside in the guitars, taking a virtual road trip in Noah's mind, unleashing grievances. Moving on to positivity, no longer feeling stuck, pity, and acting fortunate looking back at it all. Immediately after the Great Divides promo single was released, his tour sold out. Four dates were scheduled back at Fenway Park second week of July. The closest location by me is City Field in Queens, where the New York Mets play, Let's Go Mets. And I heard on the radio planning this episode that Rolling Stone created stateside music festival in Kingston, New York, where Noah will headline 4th of July. That's sold out to Gigi Perez is his opening act, Two Folk Professionals Enhance the Great Divide Sound. The National's alternative guitarist Aaron Desner co-produced, mixing some elements done on Taylor Swift's Folklore and Evermore, Gracie Abrams, Ed Sheeran, Florence and the Machine, and I Gotta Catch Up on Mumford Son's new album, Price Fighter. Browsing around, Noah uncovered archive demos by Justin Vernon, also known as Bonnie Vare. 2011's Grammys introduced me to his music, and so did my college radio station. Track 4, Downfall, Bonnie Vare joins Noah on banjo and vocals, strums electric guitar on track 15, Headed North, and 17, Spoiled. I took a liking when he dueted Exile on Taylor Swift's folklore. He's like a softer Dave Matthews sonically. End of August is a great opening track. It's hard for me to detect sadness in the whole album sounding chipper. Except dropping expletives releasing tension to stand tall. Doors, downfall, deny, deny, deny, we go back, spoiled, a few of your own, and Dan are solidly written. It'd be something if the Great Divides album statistically charts significantly as the title tracks longevity. Billboard freshly reported that Noah Khan has tied Portugal the man's Feel It Still, charting 11 consecutive weeks on top adult alternative songs since 2017. Also achieved six weeks topping alternative airplay, top 20 on pop stations, and debuted number six on the Hop 100. UK's official album charts confirmed the Great Divide debuting number one May 1st. Will it do the same on Billboard's 200 and Americana Folk Albums charts? Multiple albums were distributed April 24th. Could it beat Akon's Beautiful Day? Jason Aldean's Songs About Us, Kalani's self-titled album, and Megan Trainer's Toy With Me. Other competition is Ella Langley's Dandelion and her top country singles in Hop 100's Top Ten. Algorithms are going nuts lately. If odds are defeated, The Great Divide will be Billboard's fifth country folk number one album for 2026 so far. Morgan Wallins I'm the Problem rebounded week of January 17th from May 2025, Zach Bryan's Don't Be Dumb knocked off January 24th, Megan Moroni's Cloud 9, March 7th, Ellen Langley's Dandelion April 25th and May 2nd. Signs are well deservedly pointing to yes. Now share what out of body and the great divide mean to you. Thank you for tuning in. Please continue sharing Music Media Reviews links on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Rate your review wherever you stream. Email feedback to Music Media Review Podcast at gmail.com. I'm Jess. Next episode will take us back to the theaters. I'll be talking about Lady Gaga and Dochi's soundtrack song, Runway, of the Devil Wears Prada 2. So a very cool preview event, and we'll break down the songs that could have influenced this one. Talk to you next week.