Album Review:

Of all the dead-end branches that inevitably grew out of the surf genre, skiing music was the one that possessed the most distinctive properties. Jazz-like syncopation atop a chorus of piano/keyboard chords packed with color notes and bleak reverb made this subgenre unique compared to the hot rod, boating, skateboarding, and monster offshoots. Oh right, sleighbells help too.  The Saints were an Australian group made up of Noel Quinlan (guitar, lead vocals), Peter Cole (bass, vocals), Brian Myers (piano, vocals), and George Thornton (drums, vibes, percussion). Ski with the Saints' is their only Lp release.

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'Skiing Holiday' isn't a very impressive vocal number. The wintery 'Southerly Bluster' careens through some articulate solos. A very surf jazzy 'Snowflakes' features the Saint's proficiency in jazz all while extrapolating enough surf cues to keep this wintery gem gliding freely towards the bottom of the slope. The tranquil 'On A Winter Evening' is and could've very easily been an outtake from the Avalanches Ski Surfin' album. Noel, Peter, and Brian Myers return to vocal duties on the standard 'Moonlight in Vermont' with slightly better results than the first track. If there was any doubt as to the Saint's ability to play a variety of styles, the near-perfect surf tune 'Ski Jump' will put those rumors to rest. Not only is it the best surf composition of the album, but the Saints perform it with admirable agility and capture the essence of the genre. Side two begins with 'White Midnight.' It's an extremely well-executed wintery jazz number, though there's little for the surf enthusiast. 'Snowdrift' glides along at a fast clip and features some excellent surf guitar bends. The non-surfy yet pleasantly charming 'On the Perisher Track' features a harmonica and glistening piano rolls. 'Ring Out the Bells' melds an ultra-surfy 60s guitar with a rather traditional boogie woogie piano with unique results. Vocals are back with the pitchy 'The Deep Warmth of You.' 'At the Lodge' is pretty sturdily a jazz jam.

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A precursory description of the Ski with the Saints' sound may lead the reader to believe it is simply a mix of jazz and surf rock. The Saints' sound is far more nuanced than that, however. Yes, there are elements of both genres here, but what these four Australian musicians have done is synthesize the two into a singular, unique fusion of sound. The Saints are at their best away from the mic. And when, at last, the instruments are allowed to shine through, some kind of wintery magic happens on many of the tracks, and voila! A new kind of surf rock is uncovered. You could call it a Christmas miracle, perhaps, but Ski with the Saints has some truly spectacular moments within its powdery grooves.

Lastly, can we all agree that it was a good thing that calling ski surfers "snowies" (as the back cover dubs them), never caught on?