THE EARLY promise of Musical Shapes, the album Carlene Carter recorded in England - and which was produced by her then husband Nick Lowe - wasn't fulfilled until almost a decade later. In 1990, however, she released I Fell In Love", a cracker of an album, produced by Howie Epstein a member of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers - and released on Reprise.

Now comes the much awaited follow up Little Love Letters, with Howie Epstein at the controls again, but this time released on Giant. I doubt that there's any significance in the label change, but if anything it's an even better album than its predecessor.

It opens with the brief, slightly tongue-in-cheek title track, an ode to love-lorn answering and fax machines, that effectively sets the tone - this is a fun album. Loosely set in a country/rockabilly mode, it respects that form yet moulds it into its own identity.

As before, the centrepiece is Carter's own dynamic voice. A distinctive instrument capable of handling the uptempo material and the slower ballads with equal dexterity. Most of the songs are written by Carlene herself, working with an assortment of co-writers including producer Epstein and, on one song, Bernie Taupin (he of Elton John fame). She's also involved in the playing, featuring on several instruments, thus crucially placing herself at the centre of things, rather than being merely the vocalist, brought in at the end to fulfil the producer's vision.

Songs like 'Every Little Thing' (which is now getting radio play locally) are prime examples of the power and punch delivered. Over a rock solid rhythm section layers of vocal harmonies, melodic guitar riffs and driving acoustic guitar are constructed. Taut and powerful, it generates its own life-giving force. And this joyous momentum is repeated throughout, with tracks like 'Sweet Meant To Be', 'Nowhere Train', and 'Hallelujah In My Heart'. Elsewhere on tracks like 'Long Hard Fall' and 'World of Miracles' you get heartfelt tales of lost and estranged love: never sentimental or self-pitying, the tone is always hopeful and uplifting.

That latter is a keyword: uplifting. It sums up this entire album. Never bland or mainstream or maudlin, this fourteen track outing is a lesson for all concerned not only in terms of value for money but in its attitude and style too Little Love Letters is the way it should be.

Along with a few other notable exceptions, Carlene Carter is raising her head high above the general morass of Nashville mainstream product that only sees the bucks and Billy Ray as the be all and end all of this particular country boom.

Get real, get this . . .

* Stephen Rapid