It takes a bit of nerve, some self-mockery and a lot of talent to include a song about Pimba the Penguin amid an album that deals mostly with sexual violence and addiction, without that feeling way left of left field. Then I Try Some More combines those things, and more, in 9 tracks that are driven by Joanna Sternberg’s voice, piano and guitar. Building on their experience as a double-bass player in several New York jazz ensembles, the 28-year-old multi-instrumentalist is now trying their own solo thing. About This Is Not Who I want To Be, the record’s opening track, Sternberg says “I was in my room going cold turkey when I should have been in a hospital, and didn't sleep for 9 days”. Her stumbling piano playing, and raw voice create a childlike but forceful style; her folk sensitivities blend beautifully with her introspective commentary. The latter deals with her self-questioning, solitude, gender as well as her past as a heroin addict and her path towards sobriety. Then I Try Some More is a surprisingly honest first record, which tells a hard story without ever resorting to whining or gratuitous self-pity. Just read the title and you’ll get it: Joanna Sternberg is fighter, and they’re certainly not going to stop here. © Alexis Renaudat/Qobuz