How far is heaven? For fans of Tex-Mex trio Los Lonely Boys, it's as close as their second album Sacred.

On this strong outing, San Angelo's Garza brothers -- guitarist Henry, bassist JoJo and superbly named drummer Ringo -- sidestep the sophomore slump by deftly toeing the line between repetition and reinvention.

Which is to say: They don't mess with the fluidly funky blues-rock grooves, supple harmony vocals and Hendrix-meets-Santana-meets-Stevie Ray guitars that drew fans in the first place. But they do raise the bar by expanding their sound with extra layers of keyboards and horns and percussion.

From the slinky-guitar grooves of opening tracks My Way and Orale to the shimmery, summery roots-pop of Diamonds and Roses to the Latino rock of Oye Mamacita to the accordion-laced blues of Texican Style to the Willie cameo on the gritty country-rocker Outlaws, this 13-song set is that rare sequel that advances the story without losing the plot.

"I believe that miracles happen every day," the brothers tell us. Maybe so -- but in our experience, second albums as impressive as Sacred don't come along nearly as often.

Track Listing:

1. My Way
2. Orale
3. Diamonds
4. Oye Mamacita
5. I Never Met A Woman
6. Roses
7. Texican Style
8. One More Day
9. Memories
10. My Loneliness
11. Outlaws
12. Home
13. Living My Life