Barclay Martin Ensemble

Barclay Martin has the voice of an angel and resembles the Aryan depiction of Jesus. He also leads the most evolved band in Kansas City. Those who invest in the 13 tracks of the ensemble’s latest endeavor, Pools That Swell With the Rain, will be a part of the foursome’s effort to help fund health education and sanitation infrastructure in the Kyuso District of Kenya. It’s a noble effort, built on the backs of perfectly polished, world-music-tinged, adult-contemporary compositions full of carefully crafted lyrics and meter changes. Unfortunately, the song-with-message genre isn’t where this ensemble’s light truly shines. “Eyes of a Child,” with its playful bongos, and “Too Many Things,” with its mild salsa beats, are more saccharine than an African puff-puff. Accompanied by Mark Lowrey’s magical piano, the more subdued tunes — “Lights & Sound,” “Ordinary Designs” and “Deceiver” — stand out, strong as lion kings. Pools That Swell With the Rain exudes a bohemian air that’s genuine, with or without Matt Damon’s backing (or the stamp of approval from water.org). It reminds us to love and give a little bit — ideas that are sometimes foreign in local music.