by Zak

Putting out two albums in one year. It was a trait that was ever so popular in the realm of hip-hop artists in the late 1990s clear through the 2000s, especially when it came to discussing who was the hottest. DMX, Gucci Mane, and Lil Wayne all have at some point capitalized off of being peak levels of hot and relevant at the same time. 

When indie-folk band Big Thief did this in 2019, one of the many discussions that arose surrounding the band’s double drop was whether this tactic was best served for those who consume hip-hop. Is it more beneficial for indie acts to space out their best work because longevity is more important than being relevant? Hindsight is 20/20, and Big Theif released two albums to much critical acclaim. Better yet, those LPs didn’t feel like a continuation or prelude to the other. 

Columbus band First Responder is no stranger to Big Thief, and it just finished up its one-two album punch. In March, just before the world shut down, First Responder was gearing up to play a release show for its debut album, Courage. That didn’t happen. Instead, members of the band channeled their sheltered minds into a local compilation project “song a day.” According to singer-songwriter and guitarist Sierra Mollenkopf, these writing sessions inspired her to discover creative potential outside of trauma and personal struggles. 

After messaging Sierra about the varying visions between the two projects, she replied back, “It feels really cathartic to be able to express my creativity in a way that isn’t tied to trauma. It’s so comforting to know I can create music to express imaginations and musings about the world. I’m still struggling with depression and anxiety, so I’m really proud of myself that I could make something hopeful and soothing. I’m able to recognize what I need, even in my own songs.”

Courage, which reflects on trauma and personal struggle, very much juxtaposes the wonder and hope that Earth Angel seemingly remedies the issues ironed out on the first album. “Route 23”—the first song and single off of Earth Angel—echoes that very sentiment. This year has basically been a wash in terms of creating tangible memories, which meant that road-trips to Mollenkopf’s family farm to see her grandparents were as well. That didn’t stop the band from recording the album inside one of the farm’s barns, making a trip down Route 23 possible. “Just want to browse through some old CDs” and “get grass stains on my jeans” seem like normal, achievable dreams any day of the summer but have been out of reach this year.

Musically, there are a lot of nuances at work here that make the band’s second album a pillar of success. There are times such as on “Swimming in the Olentangy” and “One Time” where listeners are shot into a different soundscape after the first 90 seconds or with hints of shoegaze and grunge. Despite some ruminating sounds, this album really does sound more buoyant than Courage’s ruminations. That’s largely in part due to the use of 12-string guitar on multiple tracks, such as “Olentangy,” “Got Milk?,”  and “Wishing.” It’s a whimsical addition that also sounds eerily optimistic.

My favorite song though is the last track, “Great Blue Heron.” Right from the start, the melancholy guitar work acts as a sobering jab to the stomach. Then Mollenkopf comes in, “Where do you go again when I need you most?” This question posed to a bird reminds me of walks I would take through Clintonville in the summer. These quarantine walks helped keep my mind active. I also used these walks as a barometer of sorts. Something that I would take as a sign that the rest of my day would be great is if the Elizabeth’s Records’ cat was lounging in the window-side record player. Without other humans to look to for tangible advice, I started looking for and making up signs in my everyday life, basing my moods off of spotting a feline shopkeep. Times when I wouldn’t see the cat, I would ask the “Great Blue Heron” question: Where did you go? The cat’s presence as a constant in my walks was a way of thinking I had control in balancing my life and walks on the Olentangy Trail to spot a great blue heron can fill a similar role as well, I assume.

My walks have been one of my only constant routines in a wildly unpredictable year, and having the most minute differences in that routine from one day to the next is frustrating. As much as I would love to see that cat every time I walk down Indianola, I know that nothing in life is guaranteed to go as planned, even if I do take the same turns every day. Letting go and realizing you don’t have control over most situations is a freeing feeling, yet one difficult to come across this year. “Great Blue Heron” captures that idea of hope in the midst of turbulent times.
The second release over one calendar year tends to elevate the level of greatness of a “hot” artist. Metacritic scores will tell you that U.F.O.F. is better than Two Hands, but what they don’t tell you is just how much more important the second album was to the band’s rise. First Responder didn’t have to release two albums this year—a year in which the band can’t share either of those albums in a live capacity—but what the release of Earth Angel does for Courage is the same as what Two Hands did for U.F.O.F. It captured separate feelings while also augmenting the band’s place in their respective scenes.

Follow First Responder on Facebook and Instagram. Support them on bandcamp.