Justin Carter never expected to be known as a DJ. Before the Mister Saturday Night resident had ever put a record on a turntable, his voice and pen were his outlets. As he's gone down the path of the dance, his singing and writing have ticked along quietly in the background, a secret to most. "Know It All," his first record, and the lead single from The Leaves Fall, his debut LP due on Mister Saturday Night Records on January 27, brings that secret into the light.
He creates sweeping, mesmerizing chamber pop soundscapes that are easy to get immersed in. He gathers rich classical flourishes, tranquil acoustic guitars, vibraphone intricacies, and gentle organs like a nest to cradle deceptively piercing songwriting masked with a gauzy delivery. He’s set to drop his debut album, The Leaves Fall, early next year after working on it on and off for about five years. You can hear that patient and meticulous tinkering on the first taste of the album, “Know It All.” Carter swirls lush layers around a warm, hypnotic acoustic guitar progression and cuts through questions that are difficult to answer, belying the title. He sings, “What do you do when you don’t have a clue what to do?/ What do you do when the one you love most says it’s you?” The head-scratching, soul-searching inquiries combined with the beautiful balance of lush and airy sonics makes for an evocative song.
