Most soul music from the 1960s and ’70s was determinedly single-oriented. Small labels issued one or two cuts by an artist, and, barring that almost-unheard-of hit, moved on callously to the next cat or kitten. When albums did come out, they were often collections by proven hit makers, not relatively unknown wonders from Columbus, Ohio, like The Four Mints. It all makes Gently Down Your Stream, the Mints’ near-perfect 1973 LP, more remarkable; its re-release (finally!) by The Numero Group’s new album-oriented imprint, Asterisk, more exciting. With some of the greatest crooners (“Row My Boat”) and dancers (“Keep on Loving You”) ever recorded, Gently is that great anomaly: A must-have soul album.