VS4 - CD

Jack Conte (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• ASIN: B004ZA7WPW
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,358 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

15 songs. Jewel Case packaging, 8 page liner notes with lyrics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very creative album by a very creative musician., May 19, 2011

By 

Joseph E. Van Riper III (Germantown, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: VS4 - CD (Audio CD)

The album arrives in a standard audio CD jewel-case, with fairly simple graphics on the outside.

It comes with lyrics for all the tunes. Where appropriate, the names of the musicians with whom he collaborated for a particular piece of music, and the instrument they played also appear with the lyrics.

The album does not come with any of the extra bits you might hear in his YouTube videos after the main song has finished, but that's hardly a concern here.

The CD itself is not protected in a fashion to prevent you from ripping it for use in your smartphone. I could rip the music to ogg vorbis without issue, and it sounded quite nice.

Finally, with all of that out of the way, I can comment on the music.

It's fabulous.

Although I stopped performing music many years ago to pursue a different line of work, I studied music in college for four years and actively performed as a bandsman for about four years before that. I played a variety of music instruments in high school, in orchestra, band, and chorus, and took music fairly seriously in my younger years. I mention this only to give you a glimpse of what I might like in a piece of music without tainting you with any other artists' names.

I've read several people who compare this music to such-and-so artist, but I think he honestly explores so many different styles and approaches to music that it's unfair to box him in such a fashion. All of the music here is well composed and carefully performed without sounding sterile or corporate in any fashion. I think the artist does a fine job of giving a fresh, unaltered performance without sounding at all like he's just winging it.

The pieces with an orchestral element are quite nice as well. I found myself surprised at his use of a euphonium for one song, as the instrument gets very little love despite its unique and beautiful sound.

If you despaired of finding decent music since the 1990s, or have grown weary of the usual corporate-fronted drivel out there, you should give this man a listen on his YouTube channel, then buy his music.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jack's Best and Most Cohesive Album Yet, August 29, 2011

By 

D. Glassner "dah-boot" (West Hollywood, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: VS4 - CD (Audio CD)

I discovered Jack's music via his other project, Pomplamoose, whose music I adore. (You can hear me go into more detail on this subject on my blog:[...]). Unlike most of Pomplamoose's music, Jack's solo work has struck me as more experimental and Avante Garde in contrast to Pomplamoose's more pop sounding leanings. VS4 (short for VideoSongs 4) changes that, and to my ears perfectly melds the catchiness that characterizes his work with Nataly, with his own more esoteric leanings. The result is the first Jack Conte "album" that feels like a united work. This a wonderful album.

On some of the best tracks, Jack demonstrates that he has quite the orchestral arranging chops, which I look forward to hearing more of in the future.

I deducted one-star from it being a perfect review for the following reasons:

a.) I didn't realize until after I had purchased MP3s, that I could have purchased as Flac for the same price! (C'mon Jack, hook me up!?)
b.) Given that the "VideoSong" concept is so integral to Jack's music, I think all of his albums should include digital copies of the VideoSongs (even if it's at the cost of a higher price-point).
c.) The runtime is short for a full-length album, at less than 35-minutes.

That said, there is no reason not to purchase this, the best new album I've heard so far this year.

5.0 out of 5 stars TALENT, October 1, 2011

By 

Bernardo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: VS4 - CD (Audio CD)

Conte is, without dubt, one of the most telented independient new musicians. I want more from him, more videos , more large themes, more himself. Bravo Mr. Conte.