Martin Denny

Long before Martin Denny started heading into outer space with his Moog work, he was keeping us just floating slightly above the ground with the sounds of the earth—and The Enchanted Sea is one of his most grounded and beautiful works. Unlike many of his other exotica records (which are filled with the sounds of the jungle, its wildlife, and the smell of tiki bar smoke) this one has the feeling of a tumbler full of ice, walking barefoot on a sandy beach in the twilight, while breathing in the salt air. There are early glimpses here of where he was starting to head with Psychedelic-treated pianos, ethereal female vocals, and abstract orchestration beginning to find their way into the listener’s ears. It’s an album that seems less comical than some of his earlier work, with an allure more from the heart, without the heartbreak (even though the occasional tinge of wistfulness surrounds it).