Kevin Bronson on August 6th, 2019

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Communicant is the next chapter in the musical journey of singer-songwriter Dylan Gardner, the onetime viral sensation who as a teenager was signed to Warner and released the smart-beyond-his-years album “Adventures in Real Time.” That was 2014. Last year, he released the album “Almost Real,” and now he has wrapped his pop smarts into a new project with a crew of collaborators, including Ben Goldwasser of MGMT.

If you liked the snappy, rosy-cheeked songs Gardner wrote back when he wore his Beatles influences on his sleeve, you’ll like what the 22-year-old has grown into. It’s modern psych-meets-synth-pop, soulful and breezy and, yes, bearing Goldwasser’s fingerprints. From the hook to the whistling, there are a lot of things that work (in a contemporary pop sense) in the new single “Spotlight,” the video for which was unveiled today. Find a disco ball, or just imagine one.

The song is the first from Communicant’s forthcoming self-titled debut, arriving next year.* The songwriter is joined the band lineup by bassist David Von Bader and drummer Mark Gardner. Singer-songwriter Syndie Jo guests on the album track “New York Times.” Says Gardner: “Working with Ben was a dream come true and brought us even closer to our vision. I’ve always been inspired by his experimentation in the studio as well as songwriting in the fun, creative ways which only Ben knows. A mentor and a friend, he elevated the ambience and texture of the songs, specifically on the album closer ‘Temporary’ with giant, swirling soundscapes and cascading delays.”

The release of “Spotlight” follows last month’s teaser singles, “Privacy” and “Dip.”

* Post updated Oct. 28 to reflect new release date.

||| Watch: The video for “Spotlight”

||| Also: Check out “Privacy” and “Dip”

||| Live: Communicant have a four-night residency scheduled at the Hotel Café: Aug. 9 (tickets), Aug. 23 (tickets), Sept. 6 (tickets) and Sept. 18 (tickets).