Holding on after a decade and a half spent slogging in the punk rock trenches,
the Wretched Ones signed with TKO Records in 2003, celebrating the occasion by releasing
Less Is More, a 25-track (including seven untitled bonus tracks at the end) compilation of assorted rare singles, EP sides, and compilation tracks from the past 15 years. Consisting almost entirely of rare and out of print tracks,
Less Is More is not only essential for fans of
the Wretched Ones' Americanized update of early-'80s U.K. Oi!, but is also their most focused and listenable album. This brand of street punk has always been about the 7" single and the low-priced compilation, and like many bands,
the Wretched Ones invariably have done their best work one or two songs at a time. From
Gang Green-style giggles like "Christmas Song" to the incendiary "Killing for Fame,"
Less Is More is
the Wretched Ones' best work by some distance. ~ Stewart Mason