The Indie Album That Knows Your Past

“Be Gentle, Young Traveler.” The name of the artist’s self-titled debut album is also a message that permeates every track on the bizarre, reflective LP. BGYT represents the first musical release in eight years by Matt Verdier, who collaborated with a number of contributing musicians to finish the project for a release on April 22, 2022. Verdier previously released music under the name “Stork,” but this new offering also comes with a new identity. At the time of this publication, Be Gentle, Young Traveler has about 1,300 monthly streams on Spotify, a criminally underwhelming response to an album of such pure quality and unique charm.

Content

BGYT contains ten tracks brimming with heart, melancholy, and an overwhelming amount of nostalgia. Not the kind of nostalgia that feels like pandering to a shared media fanbase or common childhood experiences, but the kind that roots deep in the human psyche, leaving a sense of connection to memories and music that never actually belonged to anyone except Verdier himself. The persistent theme is this: the past is a powerful and beautiful place, but the future is all that can still be changed. Over the course of the 47 minute long musical journey, the lyrics urge the listener to remember, yes, but also to move on, and to be gentle in doing so.

Tracklist

Be Gentle, Young Traveler is a lyrically dense album that leaves much to interpretation, making a track-by-track breakdown of its meaning difficult (and mostly pointless) to write. Instead, here are the tracks and their general premises in order, coupled with notable supporting lyrics.

1. The dewy, acoustic vastness of Winters and Rivers feels like waking up in a strange place, setting the tone for the rest of the album.

“Remember how you said there are so many / Places that are vast but far between?”

2. The rolling guitar of Steady Glow begs for contentment with the extraordinary radiance of the past, then turns to promise resolve in the face of future difficulties.

“And you should be so happy / With what is taken from you / And all that you have taken / Cause that’s how books are written”

3. The sparkling synthesizers that form the backdrop of New Director continue the mission from the previous track, with an explicit plan to rebuild what is broken, and stronger than before.

“So I will get my hands dirty / I will rebuild every story”

4. The gentle yet tectonic chords of Fortunes accept the cyclical waves that make up time, and the fleeting sands of memory that always fail against them.

“We can move past it / I wouldn’t know the difference / You can forget me / I wouldn’t even notice”

5. The otherworldly cadence of Dream Song I laments the inherent disconnect between things and their origins, searching listlessly for a way to go backwards.

“It’s a pity / Nothing knows / How to get back / Where it came”

6. The driving drumbeat of Old Loves calls to action those lost in reflection and rebukes the passivity of Dream Song I.

“I can hear shoulders move / But I want to see you”

7. The tender horns of Reunion ironically reflect on a number of classic scenarios from adolescence, now entrenched in the bittersweet knowledge that they have happened for the last time. [Author’s Note: this is my personal favorite song on the album.]

“The crowd all stands / With their warm hearts / A long applause before the cast departs / With no reunion”

8. The sympathetic plucking throughout The Keys not only contrasts with the previous track but also answers its message: while everything changes, it also stays the same.

“I saw the face of God it’s the same one brought on yours / And I’d say / It’s been burning down your walls just so you can see”

9. The pointed strokes of Gnossienne paint a picture of disconnection, questioning the legitimacy of others’ desire to form relationships with oneself.

“I wonder sometimes / Does it even end / Do you talk to me in your head?”

10. The peaceful strings of Dream Song II resolves the tension of Dream Song I, finding peace in the fact that while the sublime parts of life may be temporary, so too are the sordid ones. It takes refuge in the knowledge that while everything may be chaotic, there is a simple solution to surviving in a world that does not rest, one that can be summarized in four words: be gentle, young traveler.

“Dear don’t you dare dream of something better / Than where the hands have passed / And what angels could bring / And every time you cried until you laughed”

Presentation

The cover of BGYT depicts in miniature a house with a lone young traveler leaving it, briefcase in hand. Massive, otherworldly plants and stones surround the cabin, indifferent to its presence. The whole display is awash with green like an old computer monitor, hammering home the retro feeling. On YouTube (though it may not be many people’s preferred platform for music), the album name, track number and name, and the word “play” appear overlaid on the cover with a vintage TV grain effect. The listener wonders if, like the broadcasts they devoured in childhood, the album’s experience could vanish at any second.

Conclusion

“Be Gentle, Young Traveler” is a lyrically rich album that spans numerous genres and styles. Its awareness of both the mundane and the aberrant gives it the unique power to reflect on the most fundamental human questions: Why do I feel this way? Has anyone ever felt this way before? Will I ever feel this way again?

Stream BGYT

Support Matt Verdier