Hidden Treats: Noah Kahan's 'Busyhead'
by Jimmy G
“The album released in June of last year was appreciated by the indie/alternative crowd but flew under the radar of mainstream listeners, which is a shame as this is an album so well-paced and captivating that it’s hard not to have it on repeat.”
Music as a medium is no stranger to dealing with the topic of mental health. While many of the world’s biggest artists now openly discuss their struggles with their fans, we can see artists and bands such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Joy Division have used their lyrics to convey the issue for quite some time.
The stigma surrounding mental health is slowly beginning to become more normalised in society and subsequently mainstream music has become more overt and open about this topic, even right down to having the American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline as the title of a quintuple platinum song (1-800-273-8255 – Logic).
However, there’s something truly candid and reassuring about Noah Kahan’s Busyhead, a debut album where confidence is a prerequisite as he openly sings about depression, anxiety and the coping mechanisms that keep him together.
The album released in June of last year was appreciated by the indie/alternative crowd but flew under the radar of mainstream listeners, which is a shame as this is an album so well paced and captivating that it’s hard not to have it on repeat. Kahan uses plenty of direct address throughout the record which brings this feeling of intimacy between artist and listener, even if it is maybe Kahan’s own self-reflection. One part triumphant self-appraisal, one part cathartic unbosoming,
Busyhead has a consistent theme but varies with the style of the tracks in terms of tempo and tone and is an album that’s been collated in a way that makes listening to in its entirety a very pleasant experience. The strength of Busyhead is the connectivity that the album possesses, Kahan himself stated in interviews that talking about mental health is one of the most important things those with a public platform can do and he doesn’t try to preach a motivational message to the listener, this feels like Kahan just talking to himself which -strangely- allows us to connect to him so deeply.
Track Breakdown
“Sometimes, I get this feeling I’ve been breathing someone else’s air”
False Confidence
False Confidence is the song equivalent of an M. Night Shymalan twist, it starts off slow and simple with basic vocals, bare acoustic instruments and melancholic and reflective lyrics, lulling you into what seems to be another staple of the indie folk/rock genre. Before yanking the rug from under you and bursting the speakers with one of the best auditory, bass-pumping choruses you’ll find on an album last year.
Hurt Somebody
Hurt Somebody remains Kahan’s biggest single success yet and whilst the most popular version is his duet with Julia Michaels, he’s placed the solo version of the track on the album. While admittedly Michael’s distinctive vocals which perfectly intertwined with Kahan’s are missed in this version, the song is proof that Kahan has enough vocal strength and magnetism to stand on his own.
Young Blood
The first track Kahan released set the tone for his career so far, honest and upbeat with lyrics that could work nicely as a personal mantra: “I spend nights stitching up the loose threads of my soul and in the morning I’m bullet proof”. The kick of the bass drum is fantastically utilised as is the minor piano chords that make up the pulse of the song, as well as some wonderful auditory effects that I can’t quite identify. Young Blood is a track that radiates a bittersweet but sanguine tone.
Busyhead
Perhaps the song that deals with the most overtly with the theme of mental health is the title track “Busyhead”. It hasn’t got the head-banging kick that the other tracks in the album have but there’s still some nice unpredictability in the composition that gives Kahan a bit of an edge in the saturated music landscape. It’s a purposefully messy track that perfectly captures the confusing and claustrophobic feeling of anxiety and depression.
Social media credits: image permission granted- Noah Kahan.