X Ambassadors - VHS(X)
- Samuel Stevens
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Ten years ago, X Ambassadors’ debut album VHS cracked the alt-rock mainstream with its blend of big-hearted vulnerability and cinematic ambition. Anchored by the runaway success of “Renegades” and “Unsteady,” the record not only launched the band’s career but also etched itself into the mid-2010s pop-rock canon. Now, in celebration of its tenth anniversary, the Ithaca-born trio return to their roots with VHS(X)—a fully rerecorded and reimagined version of their debut that reflects a decade of growth, hindsight, and artistic evolution.
From the outset, VHS(X) feels like more than just a nostalgia project. Where many bands revisit their classic material as a note-for-note victory lap, X Ambassadors approach the task with curiosity. Each track is reinterpreted with modern production flourishes, sharper instrumentation, and more lived-in performances. Sam Nelson Harris’ voice, now weathered with experience but still carrying its raw emotional edge, becomes the central force that ties these new versions together.
The album opens with “Renegades,” a song that has long since become an anthem for resilience. The 2025 rendition dials back some of the glossy pop production of the original, replacing it with a warmer, more organic arrangement. Acoustic textures and richer vocal layering turn the track into something both familiar and freshly stirring.
“Unsteady,” released ahead of the album with an accompanying music video, stands out as the emotional centrepiece once again. Where the original captured a fragile plea, the new version deepens the vulnerability Sam spoke about when reflecting on writing the song. The band leans into subtle string arrangements and a more dynamic build, amplifying the sense of intimacy while also showcasing their maturity as arrangers. It’s a song that somehow feels heavier and lighter at the same time, bearing the weight of hindsight.
Elsewhere, tracks like “Hang On” and “Naked” benefit from tightened arrangements and fuller instrumentation, with Casey Harris’ keys brought further to the forefront. Additionally, both tracks are reimagined with full-blown wind sections. Whereas tracks “Fear,” “Low Life,” and “Superpower” are darker and more textured than the majority of the rerecorded album, layered with atmospheric electronics that make them feel cinematic enough to sit alongside the band’s film soundtrack contributions. “Gorgeous,” “Feather,” and “Loveless” all shine with reimagined vocal deliveries that capture the wistfulness of looking back at a decade gone by.
The record’s heaviest hitter, “Jungle,” reemerges as a thunderous closer. Originally known for its gritty, aggressive energy, this 2025 rendition feels even more primal and commanding, bolstered by deeper bass tones and rawer drum work from Adam Levin. It’s a powerful reminder that while X Ambassadors have honed their vulnerability, they’ve lost none of their powerful bite.
What makes VHS(X) compelling is how it balances reverence for the original with bold reinterpretation. Rather than erasing the debut’s youthful spark, the band leans into the fact that they’re no longer the same musicians who first wrote these songs some ten years ago. The album plays like a conversation between their younger selves and the artists they’ve become—more confident, more versatile, and more open in their storytelling.
For longtime fans, VHS(X) is a celebration of a formative record, but for new listeners, it functions as a powerful introduction to the essence of what X Ambassadors has been and is now. It captures both the urgency of the past and the refinement of the present, proving that great songs can not only endure but can also evolve.
With the upcoming VHS(X) Tour set to bring these songs to life again across North America, the band have crafted the perfect bridge between nostalgia and reinvention. A decade on, VHS(X) reaffirms what made VHS so impactful in the first place: a fearless embrace of vulnerability and a willingness to turn personal stories into universal anthems.
Check out more from X Ambassadors: https://xambassadors.com/
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