Dylan Gardner is a 18-year old singer/songwriter who has recently released his first album “Adventures In Real Time” on Jan 6. Gardner rose to fame when a video of him performing the Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ went viral on YouTube. Gardner wrote every track on the CD himself. His music is heavily influenced by classic 60’s rock albums by The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones.

The opening song “Let’s Get Started” has received over 3 million views on Spotify. This track is well written and is, in my opinion, the best on the album. The song has a brassy sound which goes perfectly with the steady rhythm. The track is very upbeat and it makes me want to dance.

The next song, “Heros Tonight”, is light and lifts my mood. The clapping and chiming noises in the background make this song relaxing and cheerful. The lyrics of this song are enlightening with lines such as “I’m the king of the world, nothings gonna stop me.”

The third song on the album is “I’m Nothing Without You.” I really enjoy the gentle ukulele throughout the track. Although this song is not one of my favorites on the album, I appreciate the lively tone of Gardner’s voice and his purposeful lyrics.

The fast paced ballad, “Too Afraid to Love You” is fun and positive but I do not think it is as good as some of the other tracks. The verses are hard to process the lyrics due to mumbling and the fast pace. Also the chorus is slightly repetitive with the line “My heart starts breaking.”

Next up is “I Think I’m Falling For Something.” This track has a cool trumpet and base sound which makes it distinct. It reminds me of walking through Hollister because of the meditating sound. There are deep lyrics such as “I close my eyes and try to slip away” and “I wanna run, I just need someone.” It is slightly repetitive but still a really good track.

The next song, “The Actor,” is an acoustic slow ballad. The soft guitar and tambourine sounds make Gardner’s vocals stand out but they have a slight nasal tone. It gives off a bluesy vibe and is in a minor key.

The track, “Sing For The Stars” is very upbeat. I really like the piano chords in the beginning. It isn’t a standout, but I think the lyrics are well written such as “Sing for the stars, sing for the brightest stars.”

The eighth track, “Feeling of Love,” is different from all the other tracks because it lacks the raw guitar sound and instead it is more techno with a heavy bass. The only bad thing about this track is how repetitive it is.

Up next,”With a Kiss,” has a good beat and I find the background vocals (oOooo) very catchy. I think this song has a lot of potential and could be compared to some of the popular pop songs playing on the radio.

The last track,”Invincible,” has an orchestral sound. It reminds me of Fun’s “We Are Young” in the chorus. The song is perfect for the closing track because of the meaningful lyrics and the varied musical accompanies.

All in all, “Adventures in Real Time” is cheerful and upbeat, making it easy for anyone to enjoy. It is a very impressive debut album. Gardner shows off his unique vocals and talented writing skills. It will be interesting to see what he comes out with next.