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I tend to put more stock into podcasts that function well as standalone experiences.
As always, more established shows have the added burden of being ranked against prior seasons.
All that established, these are my picks from what has been an exceptionally busy podcast year.
8.10 Things That Scare Me(WNYC)
The title basically tells you everything you better know.
The fears range from the everyday, like bugs, to the existential, like a loss of purpose.
How did it become so influential?
Whats real, and what isnt?
And most importantly, what has it done to us?
6.Have You Heard Georges Podcast?
(BBC Radio)
This audio project from George Mpanga a.k.a.
Some of Mpangas compositions are explicitly personal; all are expressly political.
Sottiles reporting is tenacious, shedding light on an unsettling, often under-covered slice of American society.
You hear the crunching of leaves, the rush of rivers, the infrequent acknowledgment of other hikers.
Occasionally, theres a short mid-hike pause to deliver, somewhat absurdly, a host-read ad.
The simplicity of the project begs for projection.
Can there ever be a good system for such strange things?
I worry, but then I submit to the crunching leaves, the chirping birds, the yawning trees.
And then I dont worry as much.
This miniseries is an unforgettable experience.
The season presents a chorus of fascinating individuals grappling with memory, set against the backdrop of music.
Its the height of effective production, and its glorious.
