It's So Hard

Los-Angeles-born Nolan Porter, the formidable voice behind 70s soul staple 'Norma Jean', resurfaces with a bruised and burnished beat-ballad that feels carved from concrete. Long associated with Detroit grit and gospel-trained projection, Porter sounds older, heavier, and entirely unconvinced by false hope.'It's So Hard' rides a slow, minor-key strut - guitar flickering like late-night streetlight. Porter narrates young promise derailed by hustling and gun smoke, and his delivery is equal parts sermon and warning flare. The Part 2 reprise stretches the groove and lets the band simmer while he digs deeper into the lyric. Soul music as cautionary tale, delivered with steel in the lungs.