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*** Shawn Mullins, “The First Ten Years,” Columbia. Drawn mostly from three pre-”Soul’s Core” self-released albums, this collection highlights the hard work behind the Atlanta-based artist’s “overnight” success. Although their emotional impact varies, many of his hushed story-songs, ranging from wry to heartbreaking, reveal the budding heartland poet’s knack for crafting unique characters. The tracks generally reflect an earthy minimalism, and even Mullins’ new version of 1994’s “Lately” sounds polished, rather than slick.

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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.