One of the few real bright spots in recent music was the 1990 debut from the United Kingdom's Iona, with its unorthodox blend of Celtic pop, rock and new age, coupled with its fabulously mystical and international lyrics and themes. Wow.
Finally, the threesome of Dave Bainbridge, David Fitzgerald and Joanne Hogg -- now a fivesome, joined by Nick Beggs (formerly of Kajagoogoo) and Terl Bryant -- has come back with The Book Of Kells. Wisely, to give the two records an added separateness, Kells focuses around one theme, rather than going for the ideological smorgasbord of Iona. Again, Iona alternates between vocal and instrumental pieces; but the foundation for the album comes from a real collection of manuscripts and ornate drawings, created by 8th century Irish monks.
The lyric booklet is filled with lush pictures from the ancient book, with words that illuminate the Gospels, and the four different aspects their study of the Christ: Matthew sees Christ as a man, God in the flesh; Mark sees Christ as a lion, the king; Luke sees Christ as a calf, the sacrifice; John sees Christ as an eagle, resurrected and in all His nobility.
Even with the instrumental pieces, Iona has a remarkable sense of storytelling: "Matthew—The Man" reflects the mystery of the infinite inhabiting the finite, God's invasion of the human race; "Virgin and Child" delicately captures the tender moments shared between mother and infant; "Temptation" starts softly, conjuring images of the desert heat and satanic mirages, before bursting into the confrontation that could make or break Jesus' ministry.
While The Book of Kells is another strong entry from Iona, this time around they may have to fight for consumer identification. Their debut was a fresh surprise, but now the element of surprise is gone. Add to that the recent works of author Steve Lawhead, with his heavy Celtic flavorings in the must-read Albion trilogy, and the recent Jeff Johnson/Brian Dunning Songs From Albion, which also blends pop and new age with heavy Celtic influences. In the mainstream, the middle east-meets-west Passion keeps making bigger and bigger rounds for Peter Gabriel, while Celt pop diva Enya keeps turning up on TV commercials. Consequently, the cultural climate may have shifted; whether this will work for or against Iona remains to be seen.
In the final analysis, if anyone is going to make a soundtrack for the Gospels, I can think of few artists as qualified as Iona. Their brilliant mix of style and substance make them ideal for retelling the old, old story in a fresh light -- without sacrificing the sense of eternal significance. Fans of Iona will no doubt be thumbing through The Book Of Kells for years to come.
4/5