Beyond These Shores by Iona

Beyond These Shores is Iona's 1993 album, a Celtic concept record drawn from the legend of St Brendan and his voyage across the Atlantic. Iona weave folk, rock, and ambient sound into long, patient pieces. I found it long after its release and was carried off by it at once.

Why listen?

The sound is wide and watery, whistles and guitars and Joanne Hogg's clear voice riding a steady tide. The production is rich and unhurried, giving each piece room to breathe. The lyrics and themes turn on faith, pilgrimage, and the pull of the far horizon. There is a real sense of voyage across the record, of setting out and pressing on. It is a record built for the long listen.

Favourite song: Bird of Heaven

At over nine minutes it is the heart of the record, building from a whisper to a soaring, open-sky climax. It is the moment the whole voyage seems to lift off the water.

Catch the Bird of Heaven
Lock Him in a cage of gold
Look again tomorrow
And He will be gone
All the things that man has made
Cannot hold Him anymore
Still the bird is flying as before

The way the piece slowly gathers feels like a long ascent that finally breaks above the tree line into open air. It reminds me that the best paths reward patience, not haste. The record trusts you to walk the whole distance, and the view is worth it.

Key takeaway

Beyond These Shores is a deep, sea-borne Celtic record made for unhurried listening. A gentle recommendation for a long, quiet stretch of time.

Tracklist

• Prayer on the Mountain
• Treasure
• Brendan's Voyage (Navigatio)
• Edge of the World
• Today
• View of the Islands
• Bird of Heaven
• Murlough Bay
• Burning Like Fire
• Adrift
• Beachy Head
• Machrie Moor
• Healing
• Brendan's Return
• Beyond These Shores

Details

Listen on

• Apple Music
• Amazon
• Spotify

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