Rites of Passage is the latest offering from Boru's Ghost. A wonderful blending of traditional and contemporary Celtic music. The album's opening track, "Burial Mound", opens with outdoor sounds that vividly paint a picture of being at the burial mound on a chill autumnal evening. As the track so slowly builds, it is almost as if the music was always there, in the background. The mystical feeling is truly inspired and should appeal to anyone that has stared at a field of fireflies and thought of the Sidhe.

"The Pawn" another standout track on this CD. The song has an almost surreal feel to it as the vocals ebb and flow. This track was wonderful on their Demo and it is wonderful here on the CD, surrounded by other original offerings.

Another standout track is "Streets of Arkham", which seems to be a reference to Lovecraft's fabled city. The song itself is light and airy and sets a delightful mood. Again Boru's Ghost proves that, while they're great with traditional music, they're original music is of true depth and complexity that makes them stand out.

"Exiles of Erin" is an adaptation of a 16th century poem, with delightful soul and feeling throughout the lyrics. The music gives it a haunted feeling, forlorn and melancholy, and it truly is one of the best tracks on this album. This track flows almost seamlessly into "Rites of Passage", making for a delightful pairing.

Of course, lest one get the impression that this CD is all original music, there are plenty of old favorites here as well. Weille Waille is a particular favorite. The plaintive vocals on the track express a sense of pain that is absent from most versions of this song, which most often play this song for dark humor.

Indeed, a great deal of this album harkens back to the golden age of the Celtic music revival and that is a wonderful thing. Classic tunes like the "Butterfly Jig" (paired with the old standard, (the Irish Washerwoman") and the "Rocky Road to Dublin", remind the listener of this group's roots. This certainly isn't your standard festival fare, and it truly shows.