Little Love Letters
Backed by a band flush with aces--from the country side, Buddy Emmons, Albert Lee, and Roy Huskey Jr.; from rock, Howie Epstein, Benmont Tench, and David Lindley--Carter plays her strongest suit with her 1993 release. There's a commitment to her own material--fine songs like "Long Hard Fall" and the hit "Every Little Thing"--that pushes her vocals in intense, emotional directions. This is Carter's first record to adequately express her rock sensibilities in a cohesive country setting, and for that, it remains her best.--Roy Francis Kasten