The sparse musicianship adds to the songs - Jason Isbell plays some tasteful slide guitar on вЂњGod Only KnowsвЂќ. His voice is more gravelly than before, but it adds to the songs, it never detracts. Musically, producer Dave Cobb (Oak Ridge Boys, Sturgill Simpson, Shooter Jennings) lets Prine do what Prine does best. Love and mortality are the themes of this soon to be classic album. The album ends with the song вЂњWhen I Get To HeavenвЂќ. Lyrically, this is one of the best albums Prine has written. His usual word play is present and he comes up with some lines that make the listener stop, think and pay attention. The album is also a love song to his wife, and there is nothing wrong with that. You will note that God and Heaven pop up in songs and song titles throughout the album. There are other themes, but they all come back to loss of life. It is a stark photo of an artist who has survived. Just one look at the sleeve photo and you know Prine is not shying away from anything.

For the past twenty years, Prine has suffered a lot of health issues including two bouts of cancer, and on this album he does not directly comment on that, but its presence is felt throughout. He has made some new friends too in Dan Auerbach, who co-wrote the brilliant вЂњCaravan of FoolsвЂќ, and Brandi Carlile, who duets with Prine on the beautiful вЂњI Have Met My Love TodayвЂќ. Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, and Keith Sykes have worked with Prine in the past. He even wrote a song with Phil Spector - he started writing the song, вЂњGod Only KnowsвЂќ, decades ago. Prine co-writes with old friends and longtime collaborators on this album. He has issued albums since then, but like Bob Dylan, they have been albums of cover versions, but this album is Prine and, I would argue, Prine at his best. The Tree of Forgiveness is the first album since 2005вЂ™s Fair & Square where Prine has written the songs.

Let us all rejoice, the might John Prine, master of understatement, walks among us again! A new album from John Prine is always reason to celebrate, but an album in which he wrote or co-wrote all the songs is an even bigger reason to rejoice. JOHN PRINE, The Tree Of Forgiveness (CD/LP May 11th)

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