Search - Tristan Prettyman :: Hello

A Drop In The Sea Of Nondescript Singer/Songwriter Offerings

Philip R. Heath | DFW | 01/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Amazon recommended Tristan Prettyman's Hello...x to me based on my purchases/ratings of Sonya Kitchell's CDs. After listening to the samples, I decided to give it a try. I was expecting some similar pop/folk to what I had enjoyed from Kitchell. I have to say that after listening to this for about a month, I just haven't connected with it the way that I had hoped I would. The instrumentation is pretty good, but not outstanding. It slants toward acoustic and slide guitar with the occasional groove. I actually found this to be the best aspect of Hello..x. Unfortunately that means that the lyrics and vocals don't hold up their end of the bargain. On "Echo", the repeating of the word echo in the chorus is predictable and trite. If it were coming from a teen pop queen, it might be considered clever, but from a grown artist it brings more of a groan. The "additional vocalists" on "Just A Little Bit" are used in a way that seems like an attempt to pattern after Pink Floyd's "Brick In The Wall", but it is nowhere near as successful. While a chorus by definition is repetitive between verses, Hello..x is littered with lyrics that are repetitive *within* the chorus as evidenced by "when i do, you're gonna hear an echo" repeated three times in the chorus of "Echo". "Hello", "California Girl", and "You Got Me" have similar problems. This unfortunately makes the songs monotonous. Vocally, Prettyman has nothing to make her stand out from a large pack of singer/songwriters who are just plain average. While there's nothing that jumps out and makes you want to run away screaming, there's also nothing about her vocal delivery that grabs hold of you and makes you want to hear songs over and over. I would contrast this to my listening experience with KT Tunstall. The first song of her first CD, Eye To The Telescope, Tunstall gives a smooth delivery on the first verse then she transitions to an elegant falsetto during ("You're the other side of the world to me") the chorus. I'm not saying that Tunstall is the first or the best to use this technique, but it gives "Other Side Of The World" something extra that it wouldn't otherwise have. I just didn't find anything on Hello..x that set it apart vocally. Based on the vocals and lyrics of Hello..x, I think it is too early to place Tristan Prettyman any higher than run-of-the-mill. Give KT Tunstall or Sonya Kitchell a try instead."

Lovely album

Erin Webster | Gig Harbor | 12/21/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Slightly county-sounding, Prettyman's lovely voice and catchy rhythms make this a perfect album to listen to while at work, on the road, or cooking dinner. Highly recommended."