January 4, 2007 - How does a greatest hits compilation from a pop-punk band best known for (maybe) a handful of songs clock in with the same number of tracks (nineteen) as UK superstars Oasis' own recent compilation? That great mystery is not solved here, but what is solved is how you make a greatest hits compilation worth the steep price of a regular album. The answer is simple, re-record everything and include a couple of brand-new songs for good measure. Yes, you read that correctly; not just re-mastered, re-recorded with their current recent lineup.

Since the band does not actually have nineteen 'hits', they selected the track list based on the songs they most often hear shouts for at their shows. While these songs may not have all been successful on the radio, it does not mean that they are not all solid. Playing out like a killer set-list, the California based quartet pull the best tracks off each of their six previous albums; including three tracks from the band's earliest albums, Blue Room and Oz Factor.

Yes, getting the boot from every label your band has ever released an album on will make re-recording all your songs a necessary task for a compilation like this, but that does not mean it is without merit. Longtime fans' appreciation of the newly recorded versions will likely depend on their attachment to the originals. Fans with an open mind will realize that songs often evolve when taken from the studio to the stage, meaning what you get at a live show will not always perfectly match what you get on album; nor should it. Most tracks receive such slight changes that listeners will not notice much of a difference at all. You will only need songs like "Seein' Red", with crisper guitar, and "How Do You Feel", less of a dub flavor, if you do not already own the original, but several tracks do receive some nice re-working.

Most noticeably different on the album is an upgraded version of "Superman". The band's self-professed hatred for the original spawned a version that ebbs and flows with slowly winding verses but the same charged-up hook. The result is a fresh and vibrant take that breathes new life into a decade old full-speed-ahead punk tune. Sans scratches, "Caitlin" is a more straightforward rock song, with just a hint of down-home country funk in the twittering guitar. Lead singer Scott Russo's markedly improved vocals and the cleaner instrumentation scrubs "Rescue Me" into a cleaner and livelier listen, for one of the better updates on the album.

Fans still in search of a reason to pick up the album should note the first two cuts are brand spanking new, and have just as much kick as the old favorites. Opening with gorgeous lightly strummed Spanish guitar, tongue-in-cheek "Shoulda Known Better" quickly flips the switch for an all-out pop-punk rocker; with fangs exposed from its rabid foaming mouth, examining drug abuse, abortion, and prostitution with a self-deprecating smirk. With a simple but catchy off-kilter, "Yeah I should known better / Nothing lasts forever", hook, the song proves as memorable as anything on the album. More guitar-fuelled "Welcome To Oblivion" balances more aggressively thrusting riffs and melodic harmony through the hook, for an enthralling rocker.

The Hit List is highly recommended for both music fans new to the band and longtime Unwritten Law faithful. The band does an excellent job of showing where they have been, with a fresh take on their older songs, and two new solid rockers to tie fans over until the new album. They may not have had nineteen 'hits', but this sharp collection of soaring anthem-ready hooks and charged-up pop-punk makes a strong argument that they should have.

Definitely Download:
1. "Welcome To Oblivion"
2. "Shoulda Known Better"
3. "Superman"
4. "Rescue Me"
5. "Seein' Red"