The 21-track album offers an emotional rollercoaster to listeners, each song depicting its own narrative of love and loss, and what results from fame and notoriety. The Great Divide: The Last Of The Bugs leans more heavily into folk rock than some of Kahan’s earlier work. Tracks like “Doors,” “American Cars,” and “Deny Deny Deny” carry a strong guitar presence and a powerful beat, while others — “Paid Time Off” and “Headed North” — lean into a distinctly folk sound. Yet, no matter the genre, every song delivers a catchy tune and a smooth lyricism.
The album itself elicits an ebb and flow of emotions from start to finish. The opening track, “End of August” sets the tone: beginning as a slow and quiet melody, before building into a crescendo of instruments and passion. It grounds the audience in Kahan’s hometown of Strafford, Vermont, offering a sense of the album’s roots when the narrator says “‘Till it’s our town / And it’s ours now.” Kahan revisits Strafford through different songs, reminding the listener of the past and how the present is continually shaped by it.
“Dashboard” follows the story of someone who leaves their hometown — either chasing something better, or trying to run away. However, the song makes it clear that the past cannot be outrun, and that the truths you carry don’t disappear just because you avoid them. Placed halfway through the album, it serves as a reconnection with Strafford and the initial track, deepening the narrative being built across the record.
“Dan” closes the album with a track that’s melancholic yet hopeful, following an evening spent between the narrator and his best friend Dan. The song itself appears to mirror the album: when he says “Let’s talk about high school, talk / about death,” it encompasses a variety of the conversations had in each track — romance, friendship, mental health, and family troubles — all representing the range of the human experience. In “Dan,” the line “Most of the time, we don’t / have anyone / Where do we go, when we die / I wouldn’t mind right here / I wouldn’t mind at all” offers a quiet, hopeful conclusion. It acknowledges that bad things happen, but ultimately suggests one must find a reason to be satisfied and move forward with their life.
In my opinion, Kahan’s lyricism and vulnerability are what make this album stand out. He’s unafraid to “state a feeling like a fact,” and put his own raw experiences on paper for the world to scrutinize. While listening, I find myself connecting with each narrator, as each one paints a vivid picture of a life lived and tensions running high. Even when I don’t relate directly to the story, I feel anchored by the emotion and the message beneath it. Kahan’s album reminds people that sad things happen, but life keeps moving. “Staying Still” captures this perfectly with the line “All love, must leave, oh, but / search for it I will.”
The Great Divide: The Last Of The Bugs promotes perseverance and self-reflection, allowing those who sit with it to find pieces of themselves, recognize them, and continue moving forward.
