Record Reviews

John Prine

Album: “Tree of Forgiveness”

Grade: B

John Prine thinks about things. And when John Prine thinks about things, people want to hear what he has to say.

That’s why Prine will never join some past-their-prime legends who flounder as they try to recapture old magic. The way his brain works is just too interesting.

On “Tree of Forgiveness,” the 71-year-old folk singer’s first album of original material in 13 years, Prine rekindles the straight-ahead, earthbound spirit that made him a songwriting icon in the first place.

With the gut-level honesty that dazzled Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson, among others, Prine shows once again why he belongs up there with them on the legend shelf. Contributions from Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, producer Dave Cobb and other stars further testify to the respect Prine still commands.

Sure, some of the things he contemplates here are heavy. Depression, for example, on “No Ordinary Blue.” His own mortality on “When I Get to Heaven.”

But Prine’s takes are hopeful, even cathartic. He comes off as healthy, well-adjusted and unafraid of what lies ahead.

“When I Get to Heaven,” the album’s raucous closer, imagines the afterlife as a place where he can order a cocktail and forgive everyone who’s ever done him wrong. It’s so joyous that listeners will think less about death than about Prine’s fun-loving take on what lies ahead.

It’s the kind of song that makes people wonder what he’ll be thinking about next. It’s why he’s still worth listening to.

—Scott Stroud, Associated Press

Faustina Masigat

Album: “Faustina Masigat”

Grade: B

Faustina Masigat leans in on her debut album. The Oregon songwriter’s breathy alto sometimes drops to a near whisper, and she’s so close to the microphone that P’s pop; T’s too. Forte is not her forte.

Listeners will lean in, too, for a concise 11-song set that connects because it’s refreshingly free of fluff. Masigat performs with a bargain-bin guitar, and her austere approach extends to the arrangements, which makes every ornamentation that much more powerful. Support comes primarily from The Minus 5’s Tucker Jackson, who provides washes of pedal steel that enhance the beauty of the music.

The songs are duets with the second voice absent — three tunes start with “you” and two with “I.” The missing partner provides inspiration for the material as Masigat sings about heartbreak and healing, honesty and deceit, cold baths and cold apartments.

At times the music recalls Joan Shelley, Kat Edmondson or Margo Price, but Masigat is a singular voice. The title of the final song is “Words Left to Say.” She’s just getting started.

—Steven Wine, Associated Press