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Abi Ooze: Forestdale Sessions cassette (Rotten Apple) Abi Ooze has been kicking around for a while, releasing a handful of tapes and one very limited 7” that is already going for big bucks on Discogs, but this is the first time I have had the pleasure of writing about her music for Sorry State. To put it succinctly, I am blown away! Forestdale Sessions is a total scorcher, one of the best poppy punk records I’ve heard in ages. It starts off with my favorite track, “Cry Alone,” which is a master class in pop-inflected punk songwriting. The chorus hook is massive, reminding me of glammy 70s classics like Nikki & the Corvettes, but its barreling energy and big lead guitar hooks are pure punk. It’s a brilliant song any way you slice it. It’s far from the only one, though, as the rest of Forestdale Sessions proves Abi is no one-trick pony. “Run + Hide” and “Russian Bomb” have some of the gooey doo-wop vibes of early Misfits or Protex, while “Splice” is a more reserved punker that dials back the hooks in favor of a Spits-esque cool. And then there’s the other standout, “Untitled,” which is a total departure, with both Abi’s soaring vocal and the song’s hiccuping rhythm sounding like the Breeders (one of my all-time favorite bands). Get this tape! It fucking rules! And while you’re at it, someone put it on vinyl!