Darrin Bradbury Salutes “Bob,” the Corporate Everyman

Working in the folk satiric tradition of John Prine and Shel Silverstein, New Jersey-born singer-songwriter Darrin Bradbury sing-speaks in praise of the average, and the average’s name is Bob.

His new EP, The Story of Bob, opens with the meandering ballad-turned-elegy “Bob,” telling the story (at least what the singer can remember) of a Midwestern corporate everyman. The palindromic refrain “he was just Bob, backwards and forwards …  he was just Bob” shows the singer-songwriter’s understated wordplay, which can take a chorus or two to really click, but when it does …  well, listen to the EP’s second track, “All My Best Friends Are Cigarettes.”  Now listen to it again. See?

Since arriving in Nashville, Bradbury has played at 5 Spot, Fran’s East Side and City Winery. He often performs with guitarist Tim Carroll, who collaborated with him on the new EP.

“The stories on this record are either true to me or true to someone else,” Bradbury said. “Each one was a pleasure to write, and further more a pleasure to see come to life with the help of some great friends.”

Check out the story of “Bob” below: