Barclay Martin

The phrases heartbreakingly handsome and pop singer, when attributed to the same person, usually point to complete garbage. Nick Lachey. Enrique Iglesias. Ryan (George Bush Rocks!) Cabrera. So it's a good thing that locally born singer and potential ladykiller Barclay Martin doesn't do pop. Late of the excellent bluegrass combo Potato Moon and a former employee at the friendliest little bean brewery in town, Hi Hat Coffee, Martin is smooth but not weepy, acoustic but not Dave Matthewsy. He's more like a version of James Taylor (the voice resemblance is undeniable) that replaces coked-out '70s mellowness with a brew of bluegrass, jazz and dark Americana. We haven't heard much locally from Martin of late because he's been traveling the country like a real walkin' man, but his 2004 solo album, Promise on a String, remains a very welcome entry in Kansas City's musical catalog. Buy it at this rare in-town performance at PotPie.