John Prine survived two battles with cancer, each one leaving its mark on his voice. What was once smooth and easy now carried a gravelly, worn quality that made every word feel lived in. By the time The Tree of Forgiveness arrived, it had been 13 years since his last album of new material, and his return felt hard-won.
The record finds Prine in reflective territory, still sharp in his wit and unflinching in his observations. The songs touch on love, mortality, and the absurdities of being human, often in the same verse. His voice leans into its weathered tone, giving weight to the humor and grounding the tenderness. The arrangements stay simple and open, built on acoustic guitar, light percussion, and warm touches of piano and electric guitar. The Tree of Forgiveness is the work of a songwriter at home in his craft — plainspoken, funny, and deeply human.
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