In Brief

* * * Carlene Carter, “Little Love Letters,” Giant. Maybe it’s her genes, but this 37-year-old member of country’s legendary Carter family shows an easy authority on her latest album, whether it’s the quirky pub-rock charm of the two mini-tunes that give the album its title, or the stripped-down, heart-on-the-sleeve honesty of “Unbreakable Heart.” No restrictive formulas here--just unfettered spirit.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).