The Killers: Direct Hits
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Genre: Alternative, RockPros:
The majority of the hits - in their original album form - are here. "Shot at the Night," a new single," is definitely deserving of the filler space.Cons:
The Calvin Harris' mix of "When You Were Young" disappoints. Space could have been used for "Bones" or one of the Killers' other hitsDirect hits and a few misses document The Killers’ first hit compilation
Direct hits and a few misses document The Killers’ first hit compilation
With only four studio albums to date, Las Vegas rock band The Killers felt the need to kick out their first “greatest hits” collection. After selling 20 million albums worldwide and with albums reaching multi-platinum levels, they certainly deserve that right. With eighteen tracks in all (five acting as bonus material), Direct Hits tries to swallow up the Killers’ proudest moments starting with their 2003 breakout triple-platinum hit “Mr. Brightside” and finalizing things with 2012’s sleeper “Here With Me.” The band, fronted by their talented leader Brandon Flowers, should be pleased to see such a time capsule like this showing off their finest of arena-rock singles: “When You Were Young,” a Top 20 feature that remains one of the greatest illustrations in glorified 21st century rock; “Read My Mind,” also taken from their sophomore LP Sam’s Town, fires up a glorious blend of ‘80’s nostalgia and Bruce Springsteen-esque rock-pop magic; “Human” swallows U2 pride while dipping in a sweet synthpop marinade. Direct Hits is pretty fair in giving each album the same amount of play time, even tossing the best from the overlooked Battle Born into the playlist (“Runaways,” “Miss Atomic Bomb,” “The Way It Was”).
If there was anything detrimental to gripe about regarding the compilation, certainly the Lou Reed-guested “Tranquilize” should have made the song selection; the same should be applied for 2006’s “Bones,” which was a bigger hit in the UK. But most of these modern-day hit compilations are going to make room for the “new and improved” filler – taking a footnote from the big label playbook of the Sixties. “Shot at the Night” – a new track that fires up dreamy electronica, Annie Lennox landscapes and booming drums – deserves to be on the disc and tugging at the hearts of radio. “Just Another Girl” is good, but may have been more useful on an upcoming album. Apparently, the AC-sparkly album closer “Be Still,” originally heard on Battle Born, was chosen to help soothe the ear from the loudness that prevailed much of the disc. But the Calvin Harris mix of “When You Were Young” seems redundant, miscalculated and out-of-place. It might be a decent way to put the rock band on the dance floor, but it’s a snooze when compared to the original. But for the most part, Direct Hits does what it’s intended to do, and then some.
