Fair & Square
A masterclass in late-career grace. Prine’s gravelly, post-surgery voice delivers wise, witty, and human observations over warm, unhurried acoustic arrangements.
April 26, 2005 · Oh Boy Records
A masterclass in late-career grace. Prine’s gravelly, post-surgery voice delivers wise, witty, and human observations over warm, unhurried acoustic arrangements.
April 26, 2005 · Oh Boy Records
Fair and Square sounds like the deep exhale of a man who has seen the worst and decided to focus on the best. Released after a nine-year hiatus from original songwriting and a significant battle with cancer, the album introduces a transformed John Prine. His voice, once a youthful tenor, has dropped into a rich, gravelly baritone that sounds like it was cured in tobacco and wisdom. This physical change adds an immense layer of authority to his storytelling; when he sings about the small details of domestic life or the frustrations of the modern world, it feels like advice from a beloved, slightly mischievous uncle.
How does Fair & Square sound next to the rest of John Prine's catalogue?
The vocals lean notably further into gravelly than the rest of the catalogue.
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