ALLISTER “Last Stop Suburbia”
Maturity was a topic discussed often in the bio that accompanied this release, with the band claiming to be eons past their efforts on their debut “Dead Ends and Girlfriends,” but in context, that wouldn’t take much of a leap. Yes, it’s true that ALLISTER have gotten past songs like “Jacob Thinks I’m Gay,” on “Last Stop Suburbia,” but lyrical maturity doesn’t equate to replacing tremendous holes in songwriting. Even with great production by Steve Evetts (SNAPCASE), and an overall pace/energy level that hits some good peaks, ALLISTER are remarkably hollow in their hooks and tact. These guys have been lumped heavily into the NEW FOUND GLORY wannabe category, but their sound is much more attuned to the pop-punk of early GREEN DAY and THE RIVERDALES, just sped up a bit and fattened out. Thankfully, there are few “jump up and down” guitar parts (which are becoming horribly played out), and the backup vocals are kept just a few marks from becoming decidedly annoying. I guarantee this band doesn’t pull off that kind of vocal effect live, and if they do, it’s bound to be sloppy. There’s 16 songs on here, and each is unremarkable – a trap that this band can’t work their way around. That’s not to say that ALLISTER’s dropped a bad disc, because I’m sure that there are plenty of fans of pop-punk who will greet this with open arms, but after a few spins, there’s barely an impression left, and that of course, is the kiss of death in this genre. Startlingly mediocre.
Drive-Thru
