Direct Hits [2 LP] in Bloomington, MN

Almost ten years after "Mr. Brightside" helped turn
the Killers
into new millennial rock sensations, the time has come for a hits collection. Calling the compilation
Direct Hits
-- a punning title that feels timeless but has rarely been used before, a nifty encapsulation of the group's style and attributes --
cannily use the singles-centric conceit to showcase the band at their overblown best, emphasizing their arena-sized neo-new wave just slightly over their
Springsteen
isms. Both are on display on the two new songs -- "Shot at the Night" and "Just Another Girl," songs that sound as if
U2
,
, and
the Cars
created a supergroup in 1988 -- but the main benefit of
, especially for those listeners who have always doubted the skills of
, is how the operatic ambitions of
Sam's Town
feel not so extravagant when bookended by selections from
Day & Age
and
Battle Born
. All three of the albums -- which are represented by three cuts a piece -- sound strong here but what really has lasted are those singles from 2004's
Hot Fuss
, especially the initial breakthroughs "Mr. Brightside" and "All These Things That I've Done," which now seem to capture a particular moment in time and yet also transcend it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine