Allen Towbin, Phil Ristaino, Michael Parillo and Derrick Ogden have been playing together since their uni days at Skidmore College in the late 80s and early 90s, and this project is the culmination of at least seven years of their collaboration. The album also includes significant contributions from Steve Donnelly and Scott Jacoby, both of whom are also Skidmore alums from what can only be considered a golden era of music from the small upstate New York arts college. 

Boduvt is a polished and diverse collection of 12 original tracks reminiscent of a variety of classic pop artists, but with a melodic, modern sound and offbeat personality all its own. 

Album highlights include “Watershaker”, a soulful, funky, Steely Dan-inspired disco/R&B track that deserves to be on any good cross-country driving mix; “Hero With 1000 Eyes”, providing a driving, melodic Stone Roses meets the Beatles quality; “Her Favorite Song” which my money says will ultimately end up on the soundtrack to a Hollywood RomCom; “Weightless”, a sweeping, harmonious ballad ending with a moderately psychedelic reprise; and “The Post Relevant Movement” which evokes a certain respect for Frank Zappa and concludes with the refrain “I have seen… windows to dreams” over a wonderfully eastern meandering synth.

Tight jams, melodic riffs, sweeping harmonies and poetic lyrics: Agents of Venus may or may not be a one-album collaboration, but Boduvt leaves you energized and wanting more.
                            Read more...