Allister - Last Stop Suburbia (2002)

To me, this is definitely one of the greatest pop punk albums I have heard. It is definitely up there with blink-182's "Dude Ranch" and Green Day's "Dookie". Songs such as "Better Late Than Forever" and "Somewhere on Fullerton" can get stuck in your head and you'll be hooked for days. The sound is polished, but not that polished to the point where it becomes commercial crap. It's "pop punk polished".

The guitar sound is more "radio-friendly" than on the last album, "Dead Ends and Girlfriends". To some people, it will come off as generic but to me, if you knew who Allister was and you heard one of these songs, you could easily tell that it was an Allister song.

If you're looking for songs that will brighten up your day, make you smile, and make you dance, this is the perfect album for you. "Last Stop Suburbia" is definitely an album that you can sit down and enjoy. But not just sitting down, take it out with you on a drive along the coast during the day, or take it with you when you go skateboarding. This album serves all enjoyable purposes.

Allister - Before the Blackout (2005)

I am slightly disappointed with the way Allister's "Before the Blackout" came out. Even though it was released back in 2005, I am just examining it now. The sound is much too polished for a pop punk band like this. The guitar sound is way too generic. It sounds like they're trying to squeeze epic moments out of nothing and it just isn't working. Also, in my opinion, there needs to be more differentiation between the singing. It sounds like Allister has become a one-lead singer band now.

On the brighter side, there are a few tracks that I would recommend: "From the Ground Up", "Rewind", "You Lied", "The Legend of Pegleg Sullivan", and "Alone". These songs, to me, have that classic Allister feel to them with a new twist. Although, the guitar sound still sounds generic, these are good songs. I wouldn't say they're the best, but definitely enjoyable.