Rising star, Dylan Gardner has created his debut album and is receiving positive reviews.
Photo By: Brea Jones, Photographer

By: Brea Jones, Photographer

Dylan Gardner recently released his debut album, Adventures In Real Time, on May 13, 2014. Gardner expressed that the album is a “big vision of how great life can be.”

Gardner’s album originally contained 100 songs before being narrowed down to 10. When asked how he started with so many songs, Gardner explained, “I started writing songs in 2010, and [John Dragonetti] finally picked a selection in 2012. So, I had this giant arsenal of songs.”

Gardner is currently 18-years-old, and has been involved with music since the age of 4. Those who are familiar with Gardner’s work see his album’s success as a no-brainer because of his natural talent.

Junior Andre Samaroo says, “I think hes a pretty good artist, I really like his one song ‘The Actor’.”

“Let’s Get Started” is the first song on Gardner’s album. The song is his first single and has received almost 3 million plays on Spotify. When Gardner explained the meaning of the song, he said,“It’s me saying ‘Lets get going, let’s do this.’ I’ve been writing songs in my bedroom […] I wanted it to be my first hello to everyone who listens to music.”

The chorus of “Let’s Get Started” is very catchy and could remind the listener of a relationship by saying, “Just don’t leave me broken-hearted/ Oh, come on, let’s get started/ You are my love, come on, let’s get started,” with the pop and bouncy type of beat, the song makes you want to get up and dance around.

Junior Samantha Ecker says, “I really like the song, it has a good beat that makes you feel happy.”

Gardner was trying to create an album with the feel of the famous band, The Beatles, and emulate that smooth sound that made their music so popular. Before his album release, Gardner became popular through his Youtube channel, which was dedicated to the break-up of The Beatles. People who have reviewed the album say that it has a similar feeling to The Beatles‘ albums.

Another song on the album, “I Think I’m Falling For Something,” has received over 48,000 plays on Soundcloud. The song is about how one may feel when they begin to develop feelings for someone, and all they can do is think about that person. Gardner wrote, “I want to leave behind this little place/And take you with me to the state of grace that I only wish/ was a reality.” The lyrics of the song make listeners remember their first crush and think about all the daydreams they wish were real. The song has a happy beat to it, which makes it fun for people to listen to.

Sophomore Emma Torregrosa says, “I think Dylan is a good musician. He seems like he has a good musical background for this to be his first album.”

Although it’s Gardner’s first album, his songs are very relatable to teenagers. The light-heartedness of the songs help make the album enjoyable and entertaining.