For all the warmth and comfort this show evokes, it’s easy to forget it takes place over a couple of weeks in a tiny gated community built around a golf course.
Cleaning out the attic is a sad and beautiful process, where you find that amazing childhood toy that once fed wild mental adventure, for a moment you’re back in that place, then you look at the faded decals and the spell breaks. A tape that carried you through middle school, only to be eaten by your neighbor’s boombox.
“It Makes a Sound” gives us both the beauty and the truth, and reminds us that as long as you’re still singing, it’s not over.
As others have said, when I started this I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. Deirdre, the MC and who we hear for the majority of the first couple eps, is very much trying to Put On a Show, and it’s not working. But as the layers get unpeeled, as her vulnerability becomes clear, and as we meet the other characters, this show clicks. It becomes something that wears its entire heart on its sleeve, awkwardly, vulnerably, bravely. It elevates those needing a hand, it cuts on the light for those in the dark. And tbh there are a couple (minor) storytelling elements that don’t click with me, but gosh on the whole this show is powerful. Moved me to tears multiple times by acknowledging the heartache of nostalgia and growing old, and providing comfort with full sincerity.
Also there’s some seriously catchy tunes!
After working full days at the hospital, getting to drive home listening to It Makes a Sound has been a highlight. After finishing the second season, I’m going to go back and listen all over again. Many thanks to all the creative minds who put their time and effort into this wonderful product!
When this podcast first had a preview episode (the first episode) on another feed, I kinda wrote it off. Then there was a preview for episode 3, and it started to click. This is a podcast about the power of music and community. It's about caretakers, it's about family. It's about nostalgia, and memory, and hopes and dreams. It deals with big emotions, and can be a difficult listen at times as a result, but I cannot think of a single other podcast that moved me to tears out of joy. I cannot think of any other source of original songs where I found myself singing along to a song on the very first listen.
Not every episode will be a fun listen, and it takes a while to get it's feet under it, but the payoff is worth it each and every time.
The long-awaited second season has been a delight to dive into. It has lost none of its charm and somehow gained some.
Those Nightvale guys blew it when they didn’t keep this podcast in their network.
OKAY. I have to admit that this show didn’t hook me immediately, but when it did…it snagged me good. Its like this perfect memory from your childhood that you polish up all nice and shiny, so it glows so bright and blurs out all the sadness and all the little imperfections you felt in that moment. So you feel this urge to go back to a time or place that maybe never even existed. Yeah, that. It’s also about found families and unlikely connection and music and collaboration and loving people and growing up and growing old. Nostalgia in your ears. Give it a listen. Give yourself a warm fuzzy little cry.
As Phil says in the newest episode as of me writing this, in season one it got better as time went on. I can’t claim to have any experience with what either Deidre or Emma are going through because I have no family in that situation but it really sucked me in. I almost felt like I had another family member in Emma. I remember buying the first album from bandcamp and I’m very much looking forward to the next one.
I fell in love with this series in season one. It was quirky, funny, sweet, with the sort of exquisite desparation that we experience from time to time in our lives that causes us to retreat into nostalgia. It spoke to me on a very personal level. I rolled with Dierdre and the band through tragedy and triumph and was really rootin' for the generational band to bring back the music. Then COVID hit and we were all left adrift. I thought perhaps it was all some beautiful dream that we awoke from to the nightmare that was 2020 - 21.
Then Season Two came along, and I was over the moon! I couldn't wait to see what had happened to our heros. Had Wim Feros returned like Eddie from Eddie and the Cruisers? Would the music come again? Well... No. Week after week we seem to be slogging through the same sadness at the pace of a two legged turtle. The flashes of joy I experienced in season one are replaced by a long, drawn out, sturm and drang of misery and sadness as Mrs. Gardner slips further into dimentia and everybody seems to be suffering with no light at the end of the tunnel save for a swiftly approaching train. Our optimistic hero seems embittered, angry, utterly hopeless... and I'm starting to think that even Cody doesn't believe in the music anymore.
Come back, Wim Feros. More importantly,, come back Dierdre. We miss you. We need you. The realities that I turned to podcasts to escape from have invaded and there is no place left to hide.
It Makes a Sound is a quiet, beautiful slice of life that feels like a breath of fresh air while being seen by a long lost friend. The music lifts you up, and the story keeps you coming back.
The first two episodes of S1 are awkward and could be off putting. By the middle of episode 3, I was started to get interested in the mystery and kept thinking “Wait. What just happened?” Once into episodes 4 and 5, I HAD to finish the story, and it’s not what you think. Knowing this was from Nightvale, I expected something entirely different to happen—the explanation totally caught me off guard but had me hooked and captivated and awed with its poignancy.
S2 is captivating from the start and it remains poignant and sweet. This podcast is a love letter to those we love, and their caretakers, and it’s worth a listen!
I started listening to this when someone I loved was going through Mental health issues and it got me through some rough times.
Now I have the album and am listening to season 2 feeling inspired! It’s got a lot of heart to how they find the music and it makes me just down right excited when I jam to these songs
…to an artful tale of memory, nostalgia, and the dynamics of dementia, aging, and coming of age.
The first season’s infectious music and narrative that gained cohesion as the tapestry of story was woven has gained a new, even more powerful and impactful depth with this second season. The music is of course still a delight, but the dimension of grief added to it and the setting of the nursing home have elevated this tale into truly transformative and compelling art.
Please give it all a listen, you won’t regret it. Even if the peacocks hurt your ears a bit sometimes.
Ghost Deer is still one of my most favorite songs of all time and the rest of the music is incredibly delightful and unique.
also… #remeberwimfaros
I found It Makes a Sound through Nightvale years back. The first episode was very strange and rambly…but it was a perfect set up for the joy and tears that followed. It captured too well about how it is living/caring for someone with dementia, and how music brings back buried memories. I had that experience often with my grandma, songs brought her back to a 1939 German beerhall in Milwaukee Wisconsin with pure clarity. But heartbreakingly, I was often just a kind stranger. And the MUSIC! I love the songs in this podcast. Give it a listen. Give it time to simmer. When the first song is finally sung….it hit me so hard. It made a sound! Thanks to everyone who makes this show happen.
A truly beautiful podcast covering feelings of nostalgia, grief, and coming to terms with the things lost and the joys of finding the things you didn’t even know were there.
The characters all feel like they could be your neighbors and friends.
Do not sleep on this podcast!
I put on episode 4 on a flight today and it came back to me how well crafted the first season of this show is: Deidre is a fierce guardian of her memory as she encounters resistance flanked by an iPad-wielding kid, and before long is discussing the medium of cassette tapes along the way: looking forward to season two.
this little podcast is packed full of heart. It's fundamentally a story about kindness, about joy, and acceptance. It's about getting by with a little help from friends and family, about music, memory, and it's told in a gentle, soulful manner that leaves you with a little more faith in humanity. Nothing is perfect; our lives, our families, or memories, our mental health. But there is still love, and music, and heart.
I started listening to this on a friend’s recommendation & boy howdy is it a billion times better than I was expecting. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried - this podcast is a love letter to all the most beautiful things about music & family & community. If the state of the world is bringing you down, especially if you’re in a multi-generational family, this is your joyous antidote
I first listened to this podcast soon after it came out. I really enjoy how realistic the characters and their relationships are. The story is fun to follow and the music is great! I have Ghost Deer added to multiple playlists. I’m super excited for the upcoming season 2 and can’t wait to hear what they’ve come up with!!!!!!
This adorable and odd podcast holds such a special place in my heart! The journey was not quite as I expected but I was captivated the entire time and touched by the sad but sweet (and a bit funny!) ending of season one. Themes of growth and memory and holding on to the past are handled with love and tenderness. It certainly doesn’t hurt that all the songs are absolute bops. And the characters are very well developed, listeners come to love the misfit cast of personalities. I’ve recommended this one to many friends if you want a nice cozy story and I could not be more excited for season 2!
This story truly gives you a ride of emotions and really connects you with the characters emotion and feelings that’ll get to shake your head to sounds. Along with a surprising level depth in tue characters and their struggles you’ll absolutely binge through this podcast episode y episode, worth the wait for Season 2
This podcast is well worth your time if you consider yourself a creative person, or just have been inspired to make something.
It may have a bit of a slow beginning, and Deirdre as a character is definitely strange to listen to, her passion is admirable.
Without spoiling anything, the twist at the end left me thinking for weeks about what it means to be inspired by another person, what it means to be creative, and the role that nostalgia plays in the creative process.
This podcast is a beautiful exploration of these themes. And it’s short enough as well that it’s not that much of a committment. If you’re a creative person, or have ever been inspired by a creative person, please listen to this podcast. It’s well worth your time.
Omg I love it listen to this I used to only listen to the podcast the black tapes great btw but I didn’t want a different one but I looked and found this I loved it u have to try this the best get it now I’m sad I finished it but no more episodes I’m sad there are not more but listen to it you’ll love it
It's only weird to be weird. I listened to several episodes until I realized it wasn’t getting better. There's no point to it, no point to the peculiarities and wanderings, just like some of their other podcasts.
There's a lot of good stuff beyond horror, true crime and 90 min might-as-well-not-be-edited interviews in the world of podcasting.
I adore this show so much. When I first started listening to it my grandma had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Music is something that helps her remember unlike anything else. It’s like magic. So this podcast definitely resonates with me on so many levels. As someone who reminisces a lot about my childhood, it is interesting thinking about nostalgia and how we sometimes over exaggerate memories. This show feels like childhood nostalgia. I love remembering with Deidre and her mom. Thank you so much for creating such a wonderful podcast with great acting, great music, and a great story. And finally: Remember Wim Faros
KEEP LISTENING
If you’ve spent any time reading these reviews, you’ve probably heard this a ton, but it’s so true. The show starts out slow, but as you continue listening, it all becomes worth it. I promise. There’s a connection here between the listener and this group of people brought together by an idea that I haven’t quite seen anywhere else. The story is touching and relatable on many different levels.
Keep listening
And remember wim faros
This podcast starts slow but is really worth it in the end. The last 4-5 episodes are very moving and some of the most authentic feeling I’ve felt in a while. This podcast has so much heart and I enjoyed it to the end. #rememberwimfaros
I saw a review that mentioned that getting past the first three episodes makes everything worth it, and I cannot stress enough how much that is true. I was unsure as to whether I wanted to continue this podcast, but the slow build has such a satisfying payoff. This is a beautiful story that I am enjoying immeasurably.
“It Makes A Sound” starts off as dry comedy in the tradition of Waiting For Guffman, but as it develops it reveals a rare sweetness and depth of feeling that you don’t quite see coming. It’s a wonderful story about the ways that love for art and artists creates community and heals wounds. Highly recommended!
If you have the patience to get through the first 2-3 episodes, you will be rewarded with the most original podcast being produced. It’s a drama with great depth, and much to appreciate. Maybe not for everyone, especially listeners looking for Night Vale-esque weirdness, or horror. Definitely unlike anything else out there, and I listen to around 50 podcasts.
After the first episode I wasn’t sure this was for me. I am so glad I stayed with it. So fun and quite moving. I loved Jacquelyn Landgraph’s voice, both speaking and singing.
I never leave reviews but this is the first podcast that has left me weeping. There was so much packed into this story. It was beautiful and painful and hopeful and some parts broke my heart. Every single moment of this podcast was filled with kindness and empathy. Very highly recommended.
It Makes A Sound is great. The story slowly reveals itself; it’s definitely not for anyone who wants everything thrown at them from the start, so I could see why people might be confused after one episode. But it’s totally worth it, as it is a beautiful look at life, memory, creation, and coping. The cast of characters and how their relationship grows is really endearing, and I found myself loving all their quirks and different personalities, and how fate somehow brought them all together. Also, the music is superb! Overall it’s been one of my favorite listens of a fiction podcast for sure.
I really loved going into this podcast blind, trusting that wherever night vale presents was taking me, it would be wondrous and strange. I found the narrator immediately familiar and comfortable, listening to her was like listening to a close friend tell me about what excites them, what they truly love and speaking without restraint; that kind of wild late-night sleepover talk that doesn’t ever happen in the light of day.
Deirdre was a very lovable woman, and I really liked listening to her theories and off-the-cuff ramblings! It’s not something I can say I’ve ever gotten to hear on a podcast before, and I want to really express how much I liked it because this specific element seems to garner a lot of flack. Whatever!! I think it rocks and I like Deirdre!
I have so many positive things to say about this podcast (I love all your voices, for one) but it mostly boils down to: this podcast told a genuine story about human connection in a way that resonated with me on several layers, and it has impacted and altered me in some way I am not sure I know the extent of. Thank you!
I can't believe it took me so long to give this show a listen - I love the story and the relationships and the characters, and the music!!! Ah! So excited for wherever you go next!
