This Weekend’s Entertainment Pick: Tristan Prettyman

As a native Californian, I tend to be drawn to musicians who embody that laid-back, sunny lifestyle that brings me back to the beach, however far away I may be. Tristan Prettyman captures that spirit with charming, soulful lyrics in which she willingly shares stories about her life. She also happens to be a native of the Golden State, not that I’m bias or anything.

Serenading in her smoky alto tones, Prettyman’s music is reminiscent of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, yet her individual style offers something much more. Her relaxed pop folk melodies and instrumental work—ranging from strumming an acoustic guitar to strumming a Hammond organ—take us to a simplistic setting in which the 25-year-old shares pieces of her life, love found and love lost. Hello, Prettyman’s second album, conveys her free-natured Californian spirit, while her lyrics—“you gotta lose some things if you ever gonna get em back”—offer new insight to heartbreak.

Her music, voice and stage presence is inspiring to anyone who needs a break from the hectic world that so often makes us forget the simple pleasures in life. Or for anyone else simply missing the sunny California lifestyle.

Tristan Prettyman, 7:30 p.m., March 30 at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. Tickets are $15.