Wow Flash
Elvis Crespo may be sporting a slick new 'do and designer threads, but his sound remains the same onWow Flash, his third studio album in as many years. Just try to sit still during the pulsing merengue rhythms of "Bella Flor," "Mi Sol Mi Luna" and "Wow Flash!"  That's par for the course with any Crespo album, but it's also part of the problem. This collection--as infectious as it is--is practically interchangeable with Crespo's previous efforts, 1998'sSuavementeand 1999'sPintame. All the same elements are here: bilingual lyrics, party-time shout-outs, and Crespo's nasal delivery. It's all very festive, but the album fails to illustrate any real artistic growth for Crespo. Two bonus tracks, the innocuous power ballad "No Me Olvidaras" and a limp pop version of the title track, do little to prove otherwise.--Joey Guerra