The Killers - Read My Mind (Island Records 2007)

The thing about "great albums" nowadays is that you only need four singles to convince the public that your slab of plasti-coated binary code is in fact, great. In fact, the Killers' first album Hot Fuss was great, top to bottom. Singles and album tracks alike shone like neon in the desert and it seemed the boys from Bugsy's town, a.k.a.Vegas would battle U2 for the rights to the biggest band in the world mantle.

Fast forward two years to sophomore set Sam's Town, which, on the other hand, is a thoroughly forgettable piece of rock wallpaper that has sold a couple million copies (globally) on the back of Hot Fuss' reputation and a truly killer first single in "When You Were Young.

Now it's make-or-break time for both the album and the band. Following the crappy excuse for Tim Burton to crawl out of a hole and back behind a camera known as "Bones" and the throwaway Christmas single "A Great Big Sled," Brandon and his buds regroup with "Read My Mind."

Just their luck, they managed to pluck the only other memorable track on the album as its third single. It'd be even bigger/better if the song had a big, sticky, singalong hook like early hits "Somebody Told Me" or "Mr. Brightside," but there's no room for complaints here. "Read My Mind" is a sleek, mature, yet-still passionate piece of pop/rock songcraft that leaves the band's new-new wave roots pleasantly on display. Best of all, it's the kind of anthemic, sing-it-at-the-top-of-your-lungs track that will sound great on your stereo or SoundDock from now until whenever. Rumors of Pet Shop Boys remixes only up the ante on an already fine addition to their canon.

While we're welcoming the Killers back to our good graces, maybe they could do us a favor and head back to the studio. If it's all as strong as "Read My Mind" we'll forget about this little rest stop and that mojo-killing hitchhiker Sam.