Bettye Lavette - Scene of the Crime

Until recently, Lavette was one of the great lost soul divas, a victim of record company indifference in the early ’70s whose recordings were known only to a handful of collectors. Then came 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise, which brought Lavette acclaim as a survivor and a powerhouse vocalist. This gritty followup, featuring backing by Southern rockers Drive-By Truckers, will continue to stoke the Lavette revival. Recorded at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, it bristles with astonishing emotional intensity.

Sept. 25