I discovered Alice Isn’t Dead after searching for a Limetown sound-a-like on Stitcher. I was in the middle of a huge research project for my internship, and anyone who was watching me at my desk probably saw me flinching from all the jump-scares while I sifted through stacks of Excel spreadsheets.
Alice Isn’t Dead is a production from the Welcome to Nightvale team – bringing you a dose of narrative quirkiness in 20 to 30-minute chunks of high-quality voice acting from lead actress Jasika Nicole and the mind of Joseph Fink.
The story follows a truck driver searching for her missing wife, Alice, on a cross-country trip. Along the way, she uncovers a vast conspiracy that leads her to believe, you guessed it, that Alice isn’t dead. The story takes you with the main character on her road trip while she narrates her history with Alice, her quest to find her, and the strange occurrences that happen along the way.
Alice Isn’t Dead feels a lot like Welcome to Night Vale, but it’s a lot less intimidating. For one, there are only ten episodes in the first season, compared to Night Vale’s hundred-plus episodes. The podcast also feels a lot less absurd and a lot more creepily real than Night Vale.
The Night Vale team brings the same Dada-ist surrealism to Alice, but with more of a narrative structure than Night Vale. When I’m listening to Night Vale, I have to be completely engaged, otherwise, the snark and the storyline are easily lost listening to the blink-and-you-miss-it dark baritone of the narrator.
With Alice, I don’t have to keep my undivided attention on the podcast for an entire hour. The voice acting and the accompanying sounds convey the action in an easy-to-follow manner, where the action unfolds more kinetically than verbally. Alice isn’t as light or as funny as Night Vale, but it captures the drama of a psychological suspense extremely well. It’s like Night Vale‘s emo step-sister who’s really into Daphne DuMaurier and absurdist art.
The podcast is one of my favorites because it combines psychological suspense with excellent production value. The narrative is easy to follow, and the storyline is perfect for your next late night, lonely road trip.
Alice Isn’t Dead has new episodes premiering on April 4, 2017.
Spodlights:
I’m a sucker for good sound editing on a psychological horror podcast. Listen to the first episode for a slow build toward a jump-scare finale. Also, this is definitely a headphones-only podcast for the full effect!
Jasika Nicole is a national treasure – anything she says sounds like poetry, whereas it would sound completely ridiculous coming from anyone else.
Each episode has a different tone. Some really capture the main narrator’s loneliness, where others are action-packed adrenaline rushes.
The jump-cuts. You never know when you’re going to start in the middle of a harrowing scene, just to have it replaced by soliloquy in the middle of the noise. It keeps you on your toes.
One of the best parts of the podcast is that the main character follows a map of the United States so you can take the same trips that the main character does while she’s searching for Alice.
Listen to it: Night Vale Presents | Stitcher | iTunes
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