Treasa Levasseur

Where was this sweet, innocent, fill-a-room voice hiding? This dynamite disc opens with the powerful "Help Me Over,” co-written by Corin Raymond and Sean Cotton; the song explodes from the speakers like a gale force wind on a lonely prairie. Levasseur’s languid, "big, fat” voice builds and builds, guiding her and the listener to a cathartic climax. One imagines the sultry songstress leading a gospel choir in a rousing song of salvation in some rural Southern church. From this strong opener, the rest of the record is one choice cut after another — an equal mix of blues, gospel and jazz. While her voice is her strongest instrument, the chanteuse is backed by a dynamite band that includes producer David Baxter on guitar and Paul Reddick on harmonica. This is music that seeps into your soul with lines that linger long and don’t let go until the last note is sung. Leveraging the muscle of Muscle Shoals, the mojo of Motown and the blues from Chicago, Low Fidelity is Levasseur’s coming-out party; Toronto now has a new heroine of song.