While the sunny folk-pop sheen of her tunes can obscure a darker and more poetic lyrical bent, San Diego's Tristan Prettyman balances both, satisfying the demands of serious music lovers and casual listeners alike. Prettyman is a former surfing champ, and her music first appeared on an indie surfing movie soundtrack, but her real break came when she was invited to open for like-minded California singer-songwriter Jason Mraz. The exposure helped her first two albums climb to the top the Billboard album charts.