The Tight Connection

(Kindercore)

Since it will undoubtedly be at the core of any coverage this album receives, let's begin this review by explaining that I Am the World Trade Center's outrageously unfortunate moniker has nothing to do with Sept. 11: The band had its name before the World Trade Center disaster, thought about changing, and then decided to stick it out. But why? Given this duo's obscurity, one can only imagine they're thinking they can cash in on the inevitable media attention. That seems like an unlikely possibility, however: Whatever the name's pre-Sept. 11 connotations, it's hard to imagine a bigger mismatch for the World Trade Center's tragic connotations than The Tight Connection airy indie pop.

Indeed, those looking for some sort of response to Sept. 11 will doubtless be surprised by the group's failure to address the tragedy in any way. In place of catharsis, I Am the WTC offers up simple pop melodies sung with very little conviction over 1980s-style Casio electronica. Imagine a less committed Heavenly or Velocity Girl singing over a karaoke version of Madonna's "Lucky Star," and you're not far off the mark. In fact, karaoke is a good analogy for the group's entire sound: You can easily picture vocalist Amy Dykes shuffling awkwardly on a bar stage, trying to look like she's not trying too hard. This is nonchalant, breezy pop at its breeziest, and if the group were named "The Puffs" or "The Kites" or something equally inoffensive, this album would prove just as forgettable. The only thing that stands out about I Am the World Trade Center is its tragic name, a name wholly inappropriate for its sunny-day love songs.