Shhh

A.B. Quintanilla III wants to have it both ways. The writer, producer, and brother of murdered Tejano goddess Selena has split the sophomore album from his band Los Kumbia Kings into English and Spanish halves. There's no strong connection between the two collections of songs, but Shhh! is still an enjoyable enough listen. Much like he did with the music of Selena, Quintanilla infuses the album's cumbia rhythms with pop, hip-hop, and R&B elements. By now, though, the trick has become a bit predictable. Songs such as "Me Enamoré" and "Me Estoy Muriendo" could easily be switched with any of the tracks on the Kumbia Kings' first album, Amor, Familia y Respeto. Better are Shhh!'s English-language tracks, which showcase a genuine hip-hop sensibility. It's easy to imagine acts such as Next or Sisqo crooning gems such as "Say It (a Million Times)," "Think'n About U," and the Rodney Jerkins-esque "In Da Zone." If they pursue that route, Quintanilla may find himself basking in the crossover success sister Selena never had a chance to enjoy. --Joey Guerra