Screaming Trees. The Posies. Ivy. Forest For The Trees. All are named after various species of foliage and flora. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet... or would it? Quite possibly, unless it goes by the name of Kara's Flowers and creates an album named The Fourth World.

If Billie Joe of Green Day lost his punk- ridden edge, began sucking helium and started generating bland, jaded, forgettable pop, he'd probably drone through his songs in a tinny, emotion- free monotone not unlike that of Kara's lead singer Adam Levine. This band's attempts at visual and auditory replications of Beatledom are guaranteed to make any Fab Four fan shit bricks. See the cute little Flowers strike cute little poses in the cute little black- and- white pictures in the cute little inlay book! See their cute little coordinated suits! See their cute little closely- cropped haircuts! Listen to their cute little music! Then run for the cute little exits.

"Soap Disco," The Fourth World's first track and single, features such scintillating lyrics as "Hey mama/ I'm something/ Check it out/ See what it's all about!" The band's pitiful stab at romanticism on "Ocean Blue" consists of the same faux- sentimentality that infiltrates episodes of "Party of Five" and "Beverly Hills 90210," and leave one stifling giggles instead of hunting for Kleenex. Their decision to employ a string section on "The Never Saga" resulted in a cut more evocative of bad disco than orchestral maneuvers in the dark. And the giant blue testicle on the disc itself does little to save the band from their sojourn in Suckdom.

It's disheartening that the same label that features Tanya Donelly, Paul Westerberg, Nick Cave and Dinosaur Jr. is responsible for allowing this drivel a national release. Even a contract from Frank Sinatra's reputable record company can't prevent these Flowers from wilting.

-Susan Moll