Iona

Item: Open Sky
Author: Josh L!

Open Sky

(2000)

Reviewed by Josh L!

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Spotify

Label ForeFront RecordsReAL Magazine2001

art rock celtic celtic rock progressive rock

Iona's latest release, Open Sky, is a captivating mix of ancient Celtic harmonies, modern rock, and other influences. Iona has traditionally been a modern Celtic band. They haven't strayed from that, but they have definitely matured. These five artists mix instruments, harmonies, and vocals in an undeniably richer soundscape than most other bands today are willing to attempt.

Open Sky is truly a perfect title for this album. Joanne Hogg's vocals are strong, but still simple and elegant. The talent of the instrumentalists shines through clearly. One of my personal favorite characteristics of this album is its diversity in instruments. The title track of the album is one of the many tracks that containing a sitar-like guitar. It compliments the lead singer's voice beautifully and lends to the texture of each song in which it is heard. It really offsets the sometimes-distracting electric lead guitar, which seems to borrow more than one effect from 80s monster ballads.

Another testament to the skill of Iona is the unusual length of the tracks on this CD. Many bands today can't crank out songs longer than 4 or 5 minutes. Admittedly, sometimes radio play is to blame, but sometimes short songs exist because the musicians can't seem to make a 7-minute song that will hold your attention throughout. Iona has no such thing to fear. Only one song of the 11 on the album is under four minutes. Four songs are about five minutes in length, and the other six are over six minutes each (two of them striding past the 9-minute mark). From what I know of the physical capacity of a CD, Iona could have only squeezed on another 23 seconds before being forced to make it a two-disc set. You're certainly getting your money's worth if you buy this disc!

Iona doesn't seem preoccupied with radio play, and they don't seem interested in sacrificing quality--or quantity--for greater fame. I suggest that with their talent, they would most likely be successful in achieving that fame if they decided to sacrifice such things. Hopefully they won't ever have to; it would be a tragedy if they did.

The depth of meaning in this album is one that I look forward to exploring. Under the CD on the backdrop inside the case is printed this enigmatic paragraph: "On the isle of Hinba, the Spirit was poured on Columba for three days and nights. He remained alone in a bolted house throughout this time, neither eating nor drinking. Yet rays of light of immeasurable brilliance could be seen flooding out by night through the chinks of the door and the keyhole. Columba was heard to sing spiritual songs and chants that had never been heard before." While I must admit that I don't yet know what this story refers to, it fits quite well with the dark, mysterious mood of the album. The passionate lyrics, luscious harmonies, and sturdy rhythms underscore the deeper spiritual themes throughout the album. I encourage every listener to unlock their mystery.