John Prine,”The Tree of Forgiveness” (Oh Boy Records)-The former Chicago mailman may be a senior citizen these days but he’s yet to lose the ability to conjure up a memorable turn of phrase which made his work so memorable during his creative heyday in the early seventies. None of the new songs featured here pack the searing emotional punch of timeless Prine creations such as “Sam Stone” or “Angel From Montgomery,” but the venerable singer-songwriter’s first album of original material since 2005’s Grammy Award winning “Fair and Square” remains a life enhancing gem of the highest order, liberally peppered with some quirkily memorable slices of social observation led by “Lonesome Friends of Science” and “Caravan of Fools.”