Tristan Prettyman: Hello

By: Bill Clifford

So-Cal salty dog Tristan Prettyman returns with Hello (Virgin), the follow up to her debut, Twentythree. The 26-year-old San Diego native, fresh from a bad split from a relationship with fellow California singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, adds a bit of angst and despair to a few tracks, but does so with the flair of an adult who’s learned to roll with the changes life presents. On the jaunty “Echo” the protagonist is already on her way out the door at the end of a failed relationship. “California Girl” is not the sun kissed pop ditty its title suggests but instead a somber and bluesy heartache ballad that crescendos to a determined rocker by the end. Rich Wurlitzer and rhythmic drumming accompany her on “Echo” while haunting steel guitar backs her vitriol on “California Girl.” Tracks such as the catchy first single, “Madly,” extol the virtues of working through the trivial with a sing-along chorus and addictive handclaps, while forlorn closer “In Bloom” is a solemn piano and string ballad that puts her breathy, raw and husky alto front and center. The surfer and former model may be a freshly toasted, frosted pop tart but for tween-age youth that’ve grown weary of Britney, Justin or any other New Kids on The Block, Prettyman is a fine choice.

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