Bone Deep is at its worst when Bradshaw doesn't give the listener a vocal talent to anchor his compositions. On "Lookin,'" his performance doesn't keep your attention, and the song's overall mediocrity makes the skip button easy to press. The playfully upbeat "Guess You'll Never Know," however, is a good demonstration; when paired with his deep baritone vocals, his trombone playing sounds much more pleasant and beautiful. Ironically he sings about a lover who will never witness his artistic potential, because she could not understand his vision.
If "Guess You'll Never Know" is autobiographical, one might sympathize with his paramour's initial apprehension to the trombone after hearing Bone Deep. But as the sound of it grows on you, so does the music. Mr. Bradshaw is ahead of his time, and he is hoping that we will all catch up.