Albums of the week

SINGER-SONGWRITER

John Prine: The Tree Of Forgiveness (Oh Boy)

Widely regarded as the songwriter’s songwriter (Bob Dylan once described his songs as “midwestern mind trips to the nth degree”), John Prine was once committed to correcting societal wrongs with waspish detail and outlining serious subjects with wry, melancholy observations. Prine’s fire and output may have ebbed somewhat (a serious scare with neck cancer over 20 years ago put him out of action ...