Bob Bradshaw - The Art of Feeling Blue

by Kimberly Bright

published: 25 / 10 / 2023

Label: Fluke Records
Format: CD

Cinematic and consistently inventive tenth album from Boston-based Irish singer-songwriter Bob Bradshaw

Review

'The Art of Feeling Blue' is the tenth album from Boston-based Irish singer-songwriter Bob Bradshaw. When Cork native singer-songwriter Bob Bradshaw left Ireland for America in 1989, he studied at the Berklee College of Music, lived in New York City and San Francisco, then settled in the most Irish city on the Eastern seaboard, Boston, which used to be called "the next parish west of Galway." In addition to working as a gigging musician, both playing traditional Irish music and his own brand of Americana, he has published short stories and screenplays. He describes himself as "a failed novelist." This creative storytelling is very prominent on his new album with fellow Boston musicians and his longstanding collaborator Scoop McGuire. The locals on the album include guitarists Andrew Stern and Andy Santospago, bass player John Sheeran, and drummer Mike Connors. Other guests are Kris Delmhorst on vocals, James Rohr on keyboards, and Chad Manning on fiddle. Bradshaw was intent on creating songs that are in actuality ten stories, recorded between October 2021 and October 2022. Unfortunately, his wife became very ill in early 2022. He returned to the studio a couple of months after she died of cancer to finish the album (which is dedicated to her). One would forgive him for putting it off or creating a dark album like Nick Cave did after the loss of his son, but that's not the case here. The musical styles shift and change throughout the album, as does his voice. There's an incompatible jazz interlude here (“Somebody Told Me a Lie”), a somewhat psychedelic section there, bluesy grooves, Petty-Van Morrison classic rock ("Waiting," Hot in the Kitchen"), and a hint of impassioned Elvis Costello. He does acknowledge the influence of Guy Clark, Nick Lowe, and John Hiatt on his songwriting, so how wrong can he go with role models like that? About the tongue-in-cheek title track, Bradshaw says, “This is a wry, tongue-in-cheek song about someone who’s very good – indeed ‘something of an expert’ – at being sad. He’s got a ‘… gift for finding hurt/Any excuse will do/for feeling blue.’” "Somebody Told Me a Lie" is about a bemused discovery of infidelity, but the real drama is on "Rosa," the downright gripping cinematic story set to a Latin backing about a Mexican immigrant leaving his beloved Rosa behind until he can send for her. There is a considerable amount of lyrical plot developed in just a few minutes. He uses his fiction-weaving skills similarly on "Silk Road Caravan," another song that could be a screenplay. As an immigrant himself, Bradshaw seems to sympathize with those facing danger by uprooting their lives to establish better ones in faraway places. As The Art of Feeling Blue demonstrates, Bradshaw is one of those artists who quietly and consistently produces original, uncontrived work and should be more sought after. When Cork native singer-songwriter Bob Bradshaw left Ireland for America in 1989, he studied at the Berklee College of Music, lived in New York City and San Francisco, then settled in the most Irish city on the Eastern seaboard, Boston, which used to be called "the next parish west of Galway." In addition to working as a gigging musician, both playing traditional Irish music and his own brand of Americana, he has published short stories and screenplays. He describes himself as "a failed novelist." This creative storytelling is very prominent on his new album with fellow Boston musicians and his longstanding collaborator Scoop McGuire. The locals on the album include guitarists Andrew Stern and Andy Santospago, bass player John Sheeran, and drummer Mike Connors. Other guests are Kris Delmhorst on vocals, James Rohr on keyboards, and Chad Manning on fiddle. Bradshaw was intent on creating songs that are in actuality ten stories, recorded between October 2021 and October 2022. Unfortunately, his wife became very ill in early 2022. He returned to the studio a couple of months after she died of cancer to finish the album (which is dedicated to her). One would forgive him for putting it off or creating a dark album like Nick Cave did after the loss of his son, but that's not the case here. The musical styles shift and change throughout the album, as does his voice. There's an incompatible jazz interlude here (“Somebody Told Me a Lie'), a somewhat psychedelic section there, bluesy grooves, Petty-Van Morrison classic rock ('Waiting', 'Hot in the Kitchen'), and a hint of impassioned Elvis Costello. He does acknowledge the influence of Guy Clark, Nick Lowe, and John Hiatt on his songwriting, so how wrong can he go with role models like that? About the tongue-in-cheek title track, Bradshaw says, “This is a wry, tongue-in-cheek song about someone who’s very good – indeed ‘something of an expert’ – at being sad. He’s got a ‘… gift for finding hurt/Any excuse will do/for feeling blue.’” 'Somebody Told Me a Lie' is about a bemused discovery of infidelity, but the real drama is on'"Rosa', the downright gripping cinematic story set to a Latin backing about a Mexican immigrant leaving his beloved Rosa behind until he can send for her. There is a considerable amount of lyrical plot developed in just a few minutes. He uses his fiction-weaving skills similarly on 'Silk Road Caravan', another song that could be a screenplay. As an immigrant himself, Bradshaw seems to sympathize with those facing danger by uprooting their lives to establish better ones in faraway places. As 'The Art of Feeling Blue' demonstrates, Bradshaw is one of those artists who quietly and consistently produces original, uncontrived work and should be more sought after.

Track Listing:-

1 Waiting
2 Everybody's Smalltime Now
3 The Art Of Feeling Blue
4 I Know A Place
5 Hot In The Kitchen
6 I Keep It Hid
7 Rosa
8 The Silk Road Caravan
9 Somebody Told Me A Lie
10 Thought I Had A Problem
11 Let Sleeping Gods Lie
12 Stepping Stones