TIME’S UP

“EVER AFTER.” Three O’Clock. I.R.S. As a card-carrying member of the Paisley Patrol, Three O’Clock at one time turned out some nifty little ditties that exemplified the notion of disposable pop. Now the L.A.-based quartet aspires to much more, and ends up with much less. This artistic overreaching is telegraphed on the opening track and first single, “Suzie’s on the Ball Now.” It’s a bouncy, keyboard-driven dance tune that recalls Prince by way of World Party--and describes a once-tardy lass with the kind of fractured verse that would be rejected by Mother Goose. With a few exceptions, it’s downhill from there. Maybe the many songs dogged by overblown production and orchestral maneuvers wouldn’t be such washouts if they had some substance, and if the lyrics actually had something interesting to say. As it is, though, “Ever After” is elevator music with a bit more pulse.