Forgot To Forgive by Prem Byrne: Review

by admin December 3, 2025

December 3, 2025

Prem Byrne’s new single “Forgot To Forgive,” released this November 14, 2025, arrives as a warm, introspective meditation on relationships, memory, and the courage it takes to let go of old wounds. Rooted in the folk-soul lineage of Cat Stevens, Tracy Chapman, and Sade, Byrne brings his own gentle depth to a song shaped by lived experience—specifically a moment of reconciliation with a cousin that sparked a wider reflection on family fractures, lost friendships, and the healing power of forgiveness. Recorded at AR Audio in San Francisco and co-produced with Adam Rossi, the track gathers seasoned collaborators Christopher Krotky (drums) and Gawain Matthews (nylon guitar) while spotlighting a gorgeous bamboo flute solo that gives the song its emotional lift.

The track opens with soft, heartbeat-steady thumping and warm, soothing guitar strums. It’s simple, inviting, almost meditative. Byrne’s husky voice enters low and gentle, in its world-worn, thick tenderness. But his voice is quite flexible. His pace quickens with his words working through the reflections. He sings, “We never give up, and we never give in, we just grind on,” before lifting suddenly into a delicate, airy falsetto. That moment hits like a breath caught in the throat. It goes like, “Because we forgot to forgive, to remember forgiveness.”

The guitars continue to glide with melodic softness, creating a safe emotional space for the lyric to unfold. Subtle harmonies flicker in the background without ever crowding his vocal. The pre-chorus and post-chorus weave active vocal phrasing with carefully restrained drum patterns, creating an intentional mix designed to keep every word front and center.

Then the bridge arrives with a high, soothing bamboo flute solo that winds through the arrangement with real heart, lifting the track into a moment of spiritual clarity. The flute dances like a reminder, gentle but insistent, that forgiveness restores what time alone can’t.

“Forgot To Forgive” is tender, wise, and transformative, and it stays with you like it stayed with me.