X Ambassadors - “Your Town”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 10

Pairs Well With…The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Noah Kaham

For a band with a string of rock hits, many times it’s most interesting to see what happens once the waves recede, a place we find X Ambassadors eight years past their breakout record VHS. The anthemic, hook-focused band have released two records since that do continue their catchy, stomp-and-holler sound. Come 2024, X Ambassadors are finding comfort in more Americana spaces, putting their pop touch on a more mature canvas. “Your Town” is a great slice of emotive nostalgia, a belted acoustic number that builds in borderline epicness. It’s honestly one of the strongest singles in their catalog and along with “No Strings”, Townie is gearing up to be a surprisingly moving effort from the Ithaca, New York trio. They’re not quite combining big-tent pop with alt-country forms like EDM artists, but definitely playing in that direction. Their touch isn’t overbearing here as these tastes don’t naturally fit together, but X Ambassadors pull it off in a way that shows off their experience as past rock/pop hitmakers. X Ambassadors showcase on Thursday night at Speakeasy Ballroom for This Fiction. (Kevin McStravick)