Last month, John Prine announced his first album of new material in 13 years, The Tree of Forgiveness, which features guest spots from Dan Auerbach, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and more. The album’s lead single “Summer’s End” featured Prine’s killer combination of humor, imagery, and poignancy, and his newest continues in that rich and reliable tradition. “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door,” like “Summer’s End,” is a cowrite with Nashville veteran songwriter and studio musician Pat McLaughlin, and the strong sense of C&W comes through. It’s a upbeat and playful three-chord affair–a character sketch with a hint of heartbreak and plenty of plaintive, poetic flourishes (“I can hear the train tracks/Through the laundry on the line”). Prine also released a standalone cover of the Johnny-Cash-famous 1958 single “The Ways of a Woman in Love” earlier this week. The Tree of Forgiveness is due out on April 13. Watch the lyric video for “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” below.
