The Tree of Forgiveness

You can do a lot of living in 70-plus years, and fortunately, country-folk great John Prine has been documenting what he sees for over 50 of them. The album title is redolent of its mood, approaching the twilight years with a sense of wonder and humor. “Knocking on Your Screen Door” counts the blessings of being humble, and “Caravan of Fools” is a not-so-disguised jab at political incompetence. His well-sharpened wit cuts deep across these 10 songs. “Crazy Bone” reminds us all to stay weird, and “When I Get to Heaven” describes a rollicking afterlife after-party: “I’m gonna get a guitar and start a rock ‘n’ roll band/Check into a swell hotel/Ain’t the afterlife grand?”

The songwriter’s first album of new music in 13 years is wise and economical. At 71, John Prine is a virtuoso at understatement, finding the joy in the mundane, and writing about what it means to be alive.

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John Prine's first album of originals in more than a decade has all the qualities that have defined him as one of America's greatest songwriters.

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The man looking out from the cover of The Tree of Forgiveness is 71 years old and just a bit worse for wear.

Like a mighty oak that draws in kids and grandkids with sweeping branches and a rope swing, John Prine towers in a homespun sort of way.