NEW RELEASES : In Brief

* 1/2, Clifford Carter, “Walkin’ Into the Sun,” Soul Coast. Carter’s music has a pleasant, floating quality: night sounds for cruising P.C.H. at one in the morning. His singing--soft-spoken, reminiscent at times of Michael Franks--is the perfect expressive instrument for his enigmatic lyrics. But so little of substance happens that the album ultimately has the flavor of a plateful of appetizers without a main course.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good, recommended), four stars (excellent). Five star ratings are reserved for classic reissues.