Created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, Welcome To Night Vale focuses on the insane amount of insane things that happen in a town insanely accepting of insanity. It's insane. And I'll tell you why.
Cecil Baldwin is the host of a community radio show in the town of Night Vale. His fortnightly slot usually lasts between 20 minutes and half-an-hour. Cecil covers the usual things you'd expect in a community radio broadcast - traffic, community events, sport, the movements of the mysterious hooded figures in the ominous dog park, and the offerings the secret police are planning to leave to appease the perfect form of material terror. You know, the usual.
Each edition has a unique story which is covered in the form of breaking announcements. The strength of the narrative running through each episode is varied.
Cecil is the only voice appearing on the show (for the majority of the time) and it is a testament to the writers, as the stories are still compelling and engaging. The second-hand nature of the narrative, as well as Cecil's deadpan and droll delivery are what make Welcome To Nightvale stand out.
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| Not pictured: unending horror. |
There are a myriad of other characters, although they are never physically heard from, including Old Woman Josie, the interns with a shockingly-high mortality rate, and Carlos (sweet, perfect Carlos), that are referred to in a way that really captures the feeling of a small town. There are also numerous references to the neighbouring town of Desert Bluffs, adding to the setting.
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| For the love of god(s), DON'T GO IN THE DOG PARK. |
While I made mention of Lovecraft, King and other horror elements, the first thing that came to mind when I listened to the podcast was the John Dies At The End novel. It has the same kitchen-sink approach, coupled with people who are either unaware or bizarrely accepting of the strange occurrences that happen every day. However, instead of looking at the events from the perspective of a slacker 20-something guy, it's from the view of a very laid-back community radio presenter.
Welcome To Night Vale straddles the line between genuinely funny and genuinely creepy, often going from one extreme to another within seconds. Ambient music and Cecil's delivery help accentuate the differences.
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| Cold meat monster. Possibly horrifying. Mostly hilarious. Absolutely delicious. |
The podcast is broken up at the three-quarter mark with "the weather," which is a song from a usually obscure band. Songs played in the weather section have been from a wide variety of genres, including country, rock, folk and hip-hop.
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| Mmmm, listen to those smooth dulcet country tunes. |
The ideas are solid and the podcast is a decent listen, but the format quickly becomes very standard. While there are a few episodes that abandon the formula, Welcome To Night Vale has a set routine.
The good thing is the podcast is only released fortnightly, so there is small chance of it falling victim to over-saturation (although I have listened to about 16 episodes since Tuesday).
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| The secret police deny involvement with alien walkers. "We most definitely didn't call them here. Why would you say that?" |
Welcome To Night Vale is a podcast best suited to uninterrupted listening as it contains many "blink and you'll miss it" jokes and side comments. It's by no means rapid fire, but the delivery leaves only just enough time for a quick guffaw before moving along to the next "news" item.
There are 30 episodes available to download now, from a variety of sources.
Three and a half stars.
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| And, as always, good night Night Vale. |
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