Closer to the Bone's 11 songs are simply jaw-dropping for the most part: some pay tribute to friends; others give props to loss, grief, pleasure, and pain; and they all offer gratitude for the experiences. The sound of the record is close, intimate, and immediate but less shambolic than This Old Road — but it doesn't sound falsely polished. It's an exceptionally intimate recording filled with songs that are always direct and sometimes uncomfortable. The melodies are as simple and classic as they've always been, but lyrically, the man is on a tear. If Kristofferson never cuts another record, Closer to the Bone will have been a proud note to end his musical career on.

Track Listing
1 Closer to the Bone
2 From Here to Forever
3 Holy Woman
4 Starlight and Stone
5 Sister Sinead
6 Hall of Angels
7 Love Don't Live Here Anymore
8 Good Morning John
9 Tell Me One More Time
10 Let the Walls Come Down
11 The Wonder
12 Untitled