Everyone knows Gregory Porter can sing. But at the heart of his preternatural talent lies something more complex: the eternal search for his father’s love. During a recent podcast, Porter explains that his father never taught him a “dad gone thing”. The song from his new album All Rise which carries that phrase as its title starts off with a seductive groove, and when Porter croons, we groove along innocently. Until we hear some lyrics about his father that seem incongruous to the sunshine of the music. “He could out-pray the Pope, More junk, more dope, He was my missin’ link – Pour him another drink.” Ouch. An overlooked weapon in Porter’s arsenal is his lyric writing. Internal rhymes, clever turns of phrase, and sometimes, as in the case of Dad Gone Thing, scathing words that take your breath away.

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