Welcome to this week's Recommendation Engine from Podcast Rex, rounding up the week in podcast reviews. Get this in an email each week by signing up to be a supporter of Podcast Rex from £3.99.
Apple Podcasts New & Noteworthy:
Spotify New & 🔥
- How to Write a Book
- Naughty Corner
- Famously… On Trial
- Communicating with Ros Atkins
- Rory Stewart: The Long History of…
Fiona Sturges in the FT
- Esther Perel: The Arc of Love - “The opening episode features a single voice and perspective, that of a 30-year-old man who is certain he doesn’t want children and who is concerned that his girlfriend, who is five years older and was previously on the same page, is changing her mind. This man, who remains nameless, says he doesn’t want to split up with her and wishes to interrogate his own feelings about fatherhood.”
Miranda Sawyer in the Observer
- The History Podcast: Escape from the Maze - “The excellent interviews, a mix of archive ones and newly recorded exclusives, include IRA commanders, prison officers and an ex-governor of the Maze… What Gebler’s really good at is making us understand that the breakout was not a jolly caper. It was deadly serious, and the men involved were both deadly and serious.”
- State of Play: Summer Games - “Takes a sceptical look at the legacy of the Olympics. Canadian journalist Andrea Crossan starts in Vichy-sur-Seine, Paris, at the largest squat in the city, home to hundreds of refugees.”
- Today with Tonies - “It’s fine, though hosts Sam and Tim are so upbeat it makes your eyes water, with their terrible jokes about giraffe’s smelly feet.”
James Marriott in the Times
- Hysterical - “Taberski is good on the hysteria that surrounds the hysteria — the cranks, TV doctors and amateur sleuths who descend on Le Roy looking to burnish their reputations. Because the illness is spread by unconscious imitation, the publicity makes everything worse. When a team dispatched by the celebrity environmentalist Erin Brockovich arrives in the town to discover whether the illness can be traced to a toxic waste spill in the Seventies, it triggers ‘the worst stretch’ of the illness by far.”
Patricia Nicol & Clair Woodward in the Sunday Times
- Queen at the BBC - “Radio 2 celebrates the 75th birthday of the band’s drummer and songwriter Roger Taylor (born July 26, 1949) with an hour-long trawl through the BBC archive of interviews with him and his fellow band members.”
- All About the Archers - “A welcome addition to the canon of unofficial fan podcasts on the series, four Ambridge addicts present a midweek round-up of events, and interviews with the cast and production team.”
- Where Are You Going? - “Carr’s experience in succinctly telling audio stories really shines in this podcast, where she teases out tales that are funny, sad and jaw-dropping in podcasts that are rarely more than 15 minutes long.”
The Guardian’s Hear Here column recommends
- The True Story of the Fake Zombies - “In 1969, St Albans-based band the Zombies had a hit single in the US and started gigging across the country. Except, they’d broken up years before, had no idea of their success and were not, in fact, on tour.”
- The Problem with Erik - “There are colourful details aplenty in this tale of a wealthy Texan who was subject to a blackmail plot for having an affair with an escort – only to go off the deep end, leaving two people dead.”
- Dangerous Memories - “Welcome to the dark side of healing in a podcast that delves into the world of posh young women in London who all turned to the same ‘personal development coach.’”
- Resurrection: Heroes of the Early Years - “Trailblazers who tried to make a difference in the early years of the Aids epidemic, but were often blocked by prejudice.”
- Esther Perel: The Arc of Love - “Super psychotherapist Esther Perel has put together some of her best observations about love with beach listening in mind.”
In the Guardian’s Guide newsletter
- Pop Culture with Chanté Joseph - “This week’s instalment of the Guardian’s pop culture podcast is a must-listen, as Chanté speaks to Andrew Onwubolu – AKA Rapman – creator of hit Netflix superhero drama, Supacell.”
Highlights from the Radio Times
- Sonic Fields - “The history of festivals in Britain from the survivors.”
- Slow Burn - “Series 9 deals with Proposition 6, the anti-gay legislation proposed by Californian senator John Briggs in 1978.”
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Birder - “There’s no doubting musician Matt Spracklen’s passion for the pursuit.”
Heat’s Top of the Pods
Scott Bryan in Great British Podcasts
- Sissy - "It’s a fascinating, interesting little story."
- The Rise and Fall of Oasis - “Carefully crafted classic interviews and music clips alongside modern day observations and anecdotes from both Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq.”
- Do I Sound Like I Care? - “Shining a light on unpaid family carers and connecting those currently looking after a loved one.”
- Tape Notes - “Peels back how current music records are put together, put together by the Radio X broadcaster John Kennedy.”
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