VHS is a
funny name for an album being distributed as digital downloads, CDs, and vinyl.
Yet, the alternative rock outfit X Ambassadors has purpose greater than sheer
irony for naming their debut album, VHS.
According to the band, VHS serves as
a look into their past, complete with audio snippets of home movies
strategically placed to tie the stories together.
As far as debut albums go, VHS does a great job of highlighting the great parts of X
Ambassadors that make them unique. Sam Harris’ lead vocals soar in nearly every
song, while still capturing the emotionally charged grit of hip-hop that he
loves so much. His brother, Casey Harris, is an extremely talented keyboard
player that translates the music that he feels into melodic beauty. Adam Levin
on drums provides the backbone of the booming hits X Ambassadors churns out.
Rounding out the crew is Noah Feldshuh on guitar. He rips through riffs like a lumberjack
cutting down trees. Forgive my poor analogy, but it’ll make much more sense
when you hear just how much Noah slays.
I’ll give you fair warning; I really love this album. I’d
like to break it down song-by-song, just so you can see why it brings me so
much joy. Take my hand and I’ll guide you through this album.
“Renegades” - This has to be the king of all car commercial
songs. That is a definitely a compliment. Aside from loving the song, it makes
me want to buy a Jeep. Effective marketing? Absolutely. In all seriousness,
“Renegades” gives me chills every time I hear it. This anthem for the underdogs
translates extremely well live, and enraptures a crowd in its humility.
“Unsteady” - I’m familiar with this song because of its
release on The Reason EP, but the song is so good that its rerelease,
this time on VHS, is totally
warranted.
“Hang On” - Listen to this one with a good set of headphones
or some nice speakers. There’s so much going on in this song. The keys, as
simple and sporadic as they are, are a poignant part of the song. Simply put, Casey
Harris is a wizard.
“Gorgeous” - "Ooooh, so pretty” is reminiscent of
“Uptown Funk,” but in a complementary way. Did you catch that quick reference
to “Renegades.?” Sam Harris’ falsetto is beautiful. What else can I say? It’s a
“Gorgeous” piece of music. Definitely one of the standouts on this album.
“Fear” feat. Imagine Dragons – I love both bands featured on
this track. Considering they are labelmates, this is a match made in heaven.
Hearing the recognizable “Imagine Dragons vibe” on the chorus roll seamlessly
into that X Ambassadors groove makes my ears want to cry happily (if ears were
sentient and could weep).
“Nervous” - This song’s chorus has the same effect on me that
Saint Motel’s “My Type” does. I could easily listen to “Nervous” on repeat
several times without getting tired. The hook gets stuck in your head quite
easily. Listen wisely.
“Low Life” feat. Jaime N Commons - With all due respect to
Jaime N Commons, I prefer the X Ambassadors only version of this song.
Unfortunately, it was not recorded this way, but if given the chance to see X
Ambassadors live, Sam Harris will not disappoint and nails the entire song.
“B.I.G.” – This one has a “don’t mess with me vibe.” Easily
the next track being added to everyone’s gym playlist, the song gets you ready
to knock out any obstacles that cross your path.
“Feather” – This track initially got lost for me among
the true knockouts on this album. After a few listens, I came to appreciate the
less complicated aspects of this song, making it an easy listen compared to
tracks like “Hang On” and “Loveless.”
“Superpower” - “It’s a bird, it’s a plane; Clark Kent, Bruce
Wayne.” The guitar parts in this song would be right at home in a chase scene
in a superhero movie. Let’s hope those working on the post-production of Batman
v. Superman see this article and use “Superpower" somewhere in the film.
Honorable mention for best lyrics of this song goes to “I’ve been cooking up a
shitstorm.”
“Loveless” - Though Sam Smith is reportedly slated to record
the title track for the new Bond movie, Spectre, I personally would like to X
Ambassadors. Yes, I realize that “Loveless” would not fit as the title track,
mainly because the song is not called “Spectre,” but this song proves that X
Ambassadors could write an epic tune for a pivotal piece of pop culture. Their
title track would blow many of the unfortunately poor title tracks away.
Everything about the song, including the trumpets, has a foreboding vibe in
contrast to the hopeful, bright chords that Casey slams out on the keys.
“Jungle” feat. Jaime N Commons - Another song from the TV commercial
circuit, but still oh so good. Again, Jaime N Commons is great, but it would be
great to have an X Ambassadors only cut. Not to keep rehashing a live show, but
Sam Harris is an exceptional talent, which shows through this song at their
shows. Aside from his sultry dance moves, it’s great to hear his voice sing
this entire song. Could I be a girl just obsessed with Sam Harris’ voice?
Probably, but you have to admit that he is pretty damn great. The nearly
explosive bass drum in this song sounds wonderfully distorted, and it fits
perfectly. I wish the guitar solo within the last minute of the song was a bit
more present in the recording, because Noah Feldshuh’s guitar tone is heavenly.
“Naked” - SO MUCH SAX. And so the sultry side of X
Ambassadors comes out to play. They could probably make “Happy Birthday” sound
sexy. But who needs “Happy Birthday” when you have “Naked?” “Naked” and
“Gorgeous” are my top two songs from VHS (excluding previously released tracks,
because I can’t get enough of “Unsteady.”)
The seven interludes sprinkled in among the other thirteen
tracks tie-in extremely well with the songs’ themes. I’ll let you draw those
interpretations yourself.
If you’re like me and you’re into physical copies of music,
head out to Target to grab the deluxe edition of VHS, which features two bonus
songs: “Skin” and “Heist.” If you’re not like me, that’s okay too. I’ll just
enjoy these two gems by myself.
I hope you can tell by now how much I truly enjoy this album.
I wish X Ambassadors all of the success in the world. After seeing their rise
to fame over the past three years, I couldn’t have imagined a better
full-length debut for the band.
Rating 9/10
What are your thoughts? Which tracks are your favorites? Or
am I totally off of my rocker? Give me some feedback, minus Janet Jackson
please.
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