** 1/2 GIPSY KINGS “Mosaique” <i> Elektra</i>

The Gipsy Kings’ surprise U.S. success last year held a delicate balance between novelty and legitimate inter-cultural phenomenon: real French/Spanish Gypsies doing a modernized version of real Gypsy music in Andalusian Spanish. On its second U.S. release, the group wisely avoids playing up the novelty aspect. Save for a rather horrid version of “Volare” (apparently a sequel to last year’s much better Gipsification of “My Way”), this is a pretty straight rendering of the sexy style the band has developed, with no obvious compromises or panderings to its new American audience. But as such, it’s too much of a repeat of the U.S. debut. The arrangements are a little fuller, but don’t really move in any new direction (and don’t catch fire as the band can in concert). Only the Andalusian-rooted “Viento Del Arena” stands out as a new twist. For the rest of it, unfortunately, once may be enough.