I first met Chris Baron in early June, when I was writing about him for a newspaper article. He gave me a copy of his CD, which I listened to right away. Three months later, I still have the first track (\"Grand Scheme of Things\") stuck in my head. His tunes are undeniably catchy, like something you\'d expect from pop music, but the music never strays from its gritty rock core. Chris doesn\'t just come up with unusual ways to make new sounds with his voice and guitar, he also takes advantage of no sound at all, throwing pauses into his songs at unexpected places, keeping his listeners perpetually invested, waiting to hear what comes next (case in point: \"Absurd in a Can\"). Listen to this CD and hear someone who sounds like he\'s having a heck of a lot of fun playing his music. Go see him live and watch the magic in person -- here\'s a musician who clearly loves what he does and loves making fans out of those who come out to listen.

Who is Chris Baron? Part folk singer. Part rocker. Music promoter. Music lover. Poet. With a distinctive voice, quick strum and the ability to make a new friend in every room he enters, Baron isn’t a hippie, but he is filled with love. He’s not a jukebox but he’s filled with hundreds of songs. I’ve seen him play clubs in Corvallis and Portland, OR for five years and his fan base continues to grow. Baron traded in a “311-esque” calculated rock sound for softer serenades but with the same amount of bang. More acoustic. Raw vocals. And with Jason Mraz’s ability to form a run-on sentence. “Searchlights in Mexico” is a musical journey. A snapshot into Baron’s head. An invitation to get to know him and what he learned on a road trip to Mexico. And just like his song “Someday” starts. Someday, Baron will be “living the good life.” And I can guarantee he’ll be surrounded by friends, holding his famous guitar and belting out his latest poetry. He’s a travelling music man.