It’s a long way from Tipperary, where Bradshaw was born.
The Irishman has been a US resident for over three decades and whatever Celtic roots remain have been fully absorbed into a smooth brand of Americana.
In the title track of his tenth album he proclaims “I’m something of an expert/In the art of feeling blue” but the record also shows how he also specialises in keeping himself at one remove from his songs. Keep It Hid is about the all too common male problem of being emotionally locked up and Bradshaw openly admits that when writing songs “I put it at a distance from myself.”
For his tenth album he has every reason to express a higher level of hurt and to feel blue; it is dedicated to his late wife, Connie, who died of cancer in August 2022. Despite this personal tragedy, the songs remain focused on well-crafted arrangements and relative neutrality.
Although billed as a solo album, all the songs are co-writes and collaborations. For example, Rosa was written with Andrew Stern and features Jacob Valenzuela, the trumpet player for Calexico.
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The twelve tracks were recorded between October 2021 and October 2022 with a core band of Boston musicians: Stern and Andy Santospago on guitars, bass-player John Sheeran and drummer Mike Connors. Among the other guests are Kris Delmhorst on vocals, James Rohr on keyboards and Chad Manning on fiddle.
Now in his 60s, Bradshaw has no illusions about his musical career: “I’m not chasing commercial success. I want to go deeper, not wider.”
He’s a fine song writer but keeping the darker aspects of his emotional state largely under wraps means that engagement with the material doesn't stretch far from a superficial regard.
Bob Bradshaw’s website
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