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Album Review: Unbounded
Marc Enfroy
Cover image of the album Unbounded by Marc Enfroy
Unbounded
Marc Enfroy
2008 / Enfroy Music
46 minutes
Review by Kathy Parsons
Unbounded is the debut release from Marc Enfroy. Calling his music “cinematic piano,” it is visual, emotional, and colorful, but the pieces are shorter (3-4 1/2 minutes) and more varied than most soundtrack music. Enfroy began composing music seriously in 2006 as a tribute to his sister, who had lost her battle with skin cancer. Seeing the legacy she left the family with her artwork, Enfroy sought to do the same with his music. Mostly self-taught as a composer, Enfroy has been involved with music most of his life. What he has created for this album is astonishing in its passion, deep emotions, and depiction of life’s various ups and downs. The music is orchestrated for piano and strings as well as other instruments, and the sound is full and rich. Marc Enfroy says of the music, “Imagine Jim Brickman, 2002 and Tim Janis all rolled into one and you’ll get an idea of the voyage that awaits you on this CD.” I agree.

Unbounded begins with “Night On the Seine,” a love song for piano, woodwinds, and strings that exudes calm contentment - a lovely start! The title track is passionate and full of longing and graceful movement. “Mare Nostrum” is darker and more mysterious - and one of my favorites. (The title is Latin for “Our Sea” and was the Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea.) The gently rolling rhythm and “bigness” of the music convey feelings of both tranquility and power - an intriguing combination. “Taken Away” is my favorite track on this album. Poignant to the point of heartbreak at profound loss and deep emotional pain, this is an incredibly powerful piece as well as an incredibly beautiful one. “Memories In the Sand” is much lighter, but still tugs at the heartstrings with its nostalgic visions of a more innocent time. “Forbidden Island” paints a musical picture of loveliness and grace tinged with desire. “On To Forever” is a gorgeous ballad that creates feelings of floating on a cloud or drifting along in a small boat on peaceful water - trouble-free. “Solitary Journey” once again goes darker and deeper. Tinged with loss and loneliness, it isn’t without hope. “Moonlit Dreams” swings the mood all the way back up to peaceful contentment - a cozy piece to wrap yourself in as you let go of all cares and worries.

Unbounded is a most impressive debut! It is available from www.marcenfroy.com, CDfreedom.com, iTunes, Napster.com, eMusic.com, Rhapsody.com, and AmazonMP3.com. I highly recommend this one!
July 23, 2008
This review has been tagged as:
Debut Albums
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