Unwritten Law – The Hit List / 2007 Rocket Summer / 19 Tracks / http://www.unwrittenlaw.com / http://www.myspace.com/unwrittenlaw / Reviewed 16 December 2006

I always forget that Unwritten Law has been around for almost twenty years (they formed in 1990), and whenever they come out with another track that gets all the individuals at mTV drool, which seems to be about every three years. Where it will be “Shoulda Known Better” and “Oblivion” (the two new singles) off “The Hit List”, it was “Save Me” in 2005 and “Seein’ Red” before then. Speaking of “Shoulda Known Better”, this track has a much harder edge than anything released before by the band. Individuals that are planning picking up this album should know that this is not a greatest hits album in the typical sense. While all of the band’s biggest hits are on here, these are versions that have been re-recorded by Unwritten Law’s current line up.

Essentially, instead of being a greatest hits album, “The Hit List’ is much more of an remix album than anything. Unwritten law has had two members from the onset on (vocalist Russo and guitarist Morris), so there is some continuity from the days of “Blue Room” on. I must admit, I was not the biggest fan of Unwritten Law from when I became cognizant about the band (probably 1996 or so, when I picked up a copy of “Oz Factor”). However, this album makes me put Unwritten Law alongside all the other earlier pop-punk acts, alongside acts like Face to Face and The Vandals. While everyone but the biggest fans will not be too familiar with all the songs on here (as the songs are picked throughout all of the Unwritten Law discs), true fans will be able to hear the differences between versions of “Superman”.

Since I personally am only familiar with “Shallow” off of Unwritten Law’s pre-2000 albums, a comparison is in order. While the original version o “Shallow” was a bit of pure pop punk from the mid-nineties, the newer version is completely different than the original. The 2006 version of “Shallow”, if one can believe it, is even faster than the original. The arrangements are slightly different than the original, while the bass takes a much more active role in the formation of the overall sound of the track. The minor variations on this track are nice, and do not wreck an individual that may have only heard the original from singing along with the new version. Unwritten Law have found a way to successfully create two greatest hits albums, and give listeners a reason to purchase both of them.

Top Tracks: Shallow, Shoulda Known Better

Rating: 7.2/10

[JMcQ]