Joanna Sternberg remains complex with traditional templates on I've Got Me

Throughout the set, they frequently occur as someone who is naturally trusting yet learning, by necessity and with moderate success, to assert healthy boundaries. Mostly accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar or piano, Sternberg drew from a rich lineage that includes The Carter Family, Peggy Seeger, and 60s folk, as well as contemporary artists Daniel Johnston, Adrianne Lenker, and Emily Sprague.

With their second album, I’ve Got Me, Sternberg elaborates on the approaches and themes of their debut. “Between self-hatred and self-awareness / is a very small thin line,” they keenly observe on the title song. Per usual, Sternberg is grounded in traditional templates, though their perceptions and narration are as complex as ever, brimming with pop-psych allusions and peppery doses of ambivalence and satire.

The deceptively casual “Drifting on a Cloud” shows Sternberg on a high, though they ironically focus on how they usually feel (“it has been so long since I smiled”). In this way, the track functions as a tongue-in-cheek illustration of the way in which we miss out on present experiences, instead worrying about the future and the ephemeral nature of joy. On “People Are Toys to You”, meanwhile, Sternberg’s tasteful guitar runs punctuate their delineations of a love interest who, unfortunately, displays narcissistic tendencies.

On “I’ll Make You Mine”, Sternberg seems determined to forge a union with someone who is incapable of demonstrating commitment. “Did you expect me to clean [your room] / like your mom must’ve done for you?” they ask on the humorously titled yet tonally melancholic “Stockholm Syndrome”. “The Love I Give” revamps a classic melody, hearkening back to such Sunday-morning AM/gospel acts as The Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe, among others. Sternberg again addresses their habit of extending unconditional love to people who don’t reciprocate. The piece exudes that distinct mix of joviality and diluted cynicism that is oddly disturbing, and that often foreshadows tragic events; for example, the way self-harm frequently transpires after the jokes run out.

“She Dreams” is built around a bright piano part and languid melody, Sternberg navigating a precise blend of resignation and angst. Closer “The Song” unfurls as Sternberg’s most direct lament r.e. unrequited love and “misery”. “If I had any left to lose / then I wouldn’t be playing the blues”, they sing, their voice moving from low to mid to higher pitches effortlessly, and rivetingly.

Regarding melody and structure, Sternberg’s songs are readily accessible; then again, the talented musician and singer offers multilayered lyrics and works skillfully with vocal paradoxes. There’s an air of mystery that surrounds Sternberg and their songs – as if you’re encountering someone who is both stronger and more fragile than they appear. It’s this elusive quality that prompts one to visit and revisit this music. As much as Sternberg reveals, that much – and more – roils beneath the surface.