The Last Soviet
This new space history podcast is hosted by Lance Bass, a former member of the boy band NSYNC, who also happens to be a Russian-trained cosmonaut (yep, seriously).
The series tells the astonishing story of Sergei Krikalev, a Soviet mechanical engineer and cosmonaut who became stranded by himself on a space station for 313 days during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Last Soviet has content in bundles, moving along with a kind of swagger borne out of confidence in the incredible source material. It also takes full aural advantage of its outer space setting, featuring textures and effects that evoke the solitude and surrealism of Krikalev’s situation.
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The Last Soviet podcast host Lance Bass is not only a former member of the boy band NSYNC, he also happens to be a Russian-trained cosmonaut.
Its historical chops are solid, while Bass is an excellent host, possessing the instincts and timing of a trained performer, one clearly engrossed by the subject matter.
Krikalev, now 64, isn’t interviewed himself (one was scheduled, apparently, but cancelled when Russia invaded Ukraine). This is a shame, but only slightly detracts from an overall excellent, lightning-in-a-bottle story.
New episodes of The Last Soviet are released widely every Wednesday.
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You Didn’t See Nothin
From USG Audio and Invisible Institute, this new series follows writer Yohance Lacour as he revisits the 1997 attack on Lenard Clark, a 13-year-old Black boy who was beaten into a coma by a group of white teenagers in Chicago.
Lacour was living in Chicago at the time of the attack and he vividly remembers that a media narrative of racial reconciliation had quickly emerged around the story. Back then, Lacour felt sceptical of this fairytale-like portrayal, so he decided to look into the case himself and started writing about it for a local newspaper.
Two-and-a-half decades on and an eight-year prison sentence later, Lacour goes back to Chicago to interview some of the key figures in the story and also reflects on the profound impact it has had on the shape of his life.
This is by no means a public radio-style investigation, nor does it pretend to be – Lacour speaks in his own voice, and he wears his thoughts and feelings on his sleeve. It’s therefore perhaps more accurate to describe You Didn’t See Nothin as primarily a personal history with investigative elements woven in, making it a fresh and interesting new approach to true crime storytelling.
New episodes of You Didn’t See Nothin come out every Wednesday on your preferred podcast app.
Snowcast
The esteemed British broadcaster and former Channel 4 News host Jon Snow has turned his hand to podcasting in this excellent new long-form interview show.
Every week, Snow is joined by an articulate, thought-provoking guest and they spend around 35-45 minutes talking about all manner of things, from polarisation and conspiracy theories (with the journalist Jon Ronson) to the inner-workings of the brain (with UCL Professor Sophie Scott).
It’s charming and conversational and, as the episodes go on, you get the sense that Snow is enjoying breaking out of the restrictive confines of the Queen’s English (he does so gingerly at first, as can be heard in a humorous exchange about swearing with Ronson, his first guest).
It’s always such a pleasure listening to expert interviewers work their magic with smart, interesting people, and Snowcast is no different – every episode so far has been inspiring and insightful – and I’m looking forward to seeing who Snow will interview next.
New episodes of Snowcast come out every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.
