Released: 2013

Genres: Post-Punk Revival, Alternative Rock, Heartland Rock, New Wave, Pop Rock

The Musiquarium’s Direct Hits Review Score: 8 out of 10

After releasing four albums (two of which are great, two of which aren’t) and finding themselves in a bit of a creative lull, The Killers felt compelled to release a greatest hits collection, along with a couple of new tracks.

Most of the essentials are here, although, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine would have been a nice addition. The album takes a bit of a dive in quality after leaving Sam’s Town for Day & Age; songs like Human and Spaceman resonated with some listeners, but I found them to be a step down from generational classics like, Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me and When You Were Young. Things get a little worse when you get to the songs from Battle Born, and while none of these songs are bad, they are the least interesting of any of the albums. The new songs, Shot at the Night and Just Another Girl are decent, but nothing too fascinating either.

Direct Hits is sequenced chronologically, so it’s tempting to turn it off at the halfway mark, but as a whole, its still a solid collection of tracks, which show a lot of change and growth in the band’s first decade.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view The Killers on Discogs.

Back to the 2013 Album Guide or the The Killers Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard