Aphoristic Whimsy : Check List ****<i> Great Balls of Fire</i> ***<i> Good Vibrations</i> **<i> Maybe Baby</i> *<i> Running on Empty </i>

***TIMBUK 3. “Eden Alley.” I.R.S. Pat and Barbara K. MacDonald and their trusty beat box, the creators of 1986’s “The Future’s So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades),” bring us more aphoristic whimsy in the form of titles like “Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection” and “Little People Make Big Mistakes.” On its second LP, the pair has intensified its blues-and-funk grooves, and also expanded its scope with the gentle “Easy,” the rockin’ “Rev. Jack & His Roamin’ Cadillac Church” and the tropical “A Sinful Life.” At the same time, songwriter Pat has sharpened his droll attack (which is matched perfectly by his laconic voice), offering “Dance Fever,” in which a young couple fulfill their dream of dancing in Vegas via Hollywood, and “Sample the Dog,” the ultimate world-music statement in the age of Casio. These are even more definitive takes on modern life than “Shades.”