For Nostalgia's Sake: Beyond These Shores

Listening to Iona's Beyond These Shores takes me back to my college days in West Michigan. I can't remember if I discovered the Celtic rock group during my freshman or sophomore year. Regardless, Robert, my boss at Jacob's Ladder, a music store formerly adjacent to campus, most likely introduced me to the band. I once read someone describe Iona's sound as an Enya-meets-U2 mix; I would agree. Of the five Iona records that I own, BTS may be my favorite. Perhaps it's because it's the first one I purchased. Perhaps it reminds me of a great time of musical discovery in my life, as working at Jacob's Ladder widened my musical scope. Whatever the reason, the driving rhythms, pensive pauses, soaring instrumentals and inspiring lyrics make this disc a great one to spin in the car with a wide open sky in view against glorious, green, Tennessee hills.