The Classic delivers on whatever promises Joan Wasser made three years ago with the masterful The Deep Field. If the spy-movie track “Witness” is too subtle an opener for some, “Holy City” is the explosion of melody, rhythm, and soulful production that’s made Wasser a first-rate talent. The title track shows just how badly Wasser wants your heart and your undivided attention. She's no shrinking violet; she's a vocal stylist who mixes old and new as only someone who’s studied her craft can do. (For the record, it’s “The C-L-A-S-S-I-C” as in “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”) She's not afraid to stretch out and take her time. The album’s middle is led by a quartet of tunes looming around the six-to-seven-minute mark, where the subtler moves are made and even Wasser admits that life’s demands can get to you. But there are orchestral bits, a consistently moving arsenal of beats, and moody keyboards to provide comfort while she pumps it up for the brass section of “Shame” and the Philly soul shimmer of “Ask Me.”