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.
