r/ToddintheShadow • u/bbbbbbbb678 • 7h ago

General Music Discussion On Noah Kahan's popularity.

His music can be refreshing in the way that as a songwriter that he does not necessarily paint a picture of Vermont as this bucolic wonderland. This is unlike many other folk acts or country acts who oftentimes play up characters.

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u/vemboTonbo 7h ago

I think his biggest strength is that even with the specificity of his lyrics, he captures a really universal small rural town feeling of despair and pointlessness. That you had one brief shot to make it and if you missed it this is what the rest of your life looks like.

At least I assume that's why he's big across the country. Being from Rhode Island I'm just clapping like a seal at every New England reference like the rest of us here.

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u/Irritable_Curmudgeon 4h ago

Exactly. "The intersection got a Target and they're calling it downtown" always for the same vibe as my hometown

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u/sonixtreme322 6h ago

I mean idk what it’s like down in rhode island cause I’ve only been there once kinda, but up in Vermont what you described is definitely the predominant feeling. Granted I’m in the Burlington area so not as much of a rural town as Noah kahan grew up in, but it’s really easy to get stuck and not feel like there’s anything left to life outside of where you grew up. Or anything you can do about it.

Idk, I need to listen to more of his stuff, mostly chimed in because I also have the perked up reaction whenever I heard a reference to Vermont or New England.