Record Rack

** Jessica Simpson, “Sweet Kisses,” Columbia. The 19-year-old singer has obviously been studying Mariah Carey since childhood, and on this debut she apes Carey’s breathy riffing and resonant belting impressively. But these pop-soul confections seldom allow Simpson to reveal an identity of her own. Power ballads such as the hit single “I Wanna Love You Forever” cast her as a generic diva, while the bouncier tracks suggest a more virtuosic Britney Spears.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.