What’s new to listen to

A roundup of what we’re tuning into in the world of podcasts and music.

Where the Viaduct Looms

This is probably the most unlikely collaborative project in years. A 14-year-old Canadian teen, Nell Smith, and The Flaming Lips coming together to record nine Nick Cave covers. The songs take on entirely new meanings in her hands. It’s a fascinating listen, with moments of inspired genius. Fans of either Cave or The Lips will enjoy this creative work and everyone will have different tracks that grab them. I particularly like the slow build and strict annunciation of O Children and their haunting take on The Ship Song, but my favourite is easily We Know Who You Are, although I can’t tell if that’s because of their ethereal interpretation, or how much I like that song anyway. There is sometimes a creepiness to Cave’s music, a simmering malice that occasionally surfaces, but in Smith’s innocent hands it is completely absent. Instead, the songs resonate with curious joy.

The Last Days of Maradona

This Spotify original takes a look at the end of the talented, famous and controversial footballer’s life, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the care and medical attention he received in his final days. Asking what price idols pay when we put them on a pedestal, the podcast is hosted by French football legend Thierry Henry. Even for those of us (me included) not footballinclined, the show is an addictive listen.

– George Fenwick

Flying Dream 1

It’s easy to deride Mancunian soft rockers Elbow, with their overly pretty melodies and tendency to take themselves too seriously, but beneath their pretentious exterior is a band who occasionally reach greatness. Flying Dream 1 is more restrained than their usual fare, more meditative than explosive. A quiet affair that’s explorative, without losing its way, the genteel gentlemen are in introverted form. Guy Garvey is in a jazzy, improvisational mood at his piano and his sweet tenor is in remarkably good shape. The minimal arrangements serve these songs well, and it’s a record that draws you in primarily by not standing out too much. It’s a warm listen, not their best, but a pleasing, soothing selection. – Alex Behan

Behind the Wand: Stories From the Harry Potter Films

Host Flick Miles was Emma Watson’s body double throughout all eight films, and, to mark 20 years since the release of the first, she has reached out to those she worked with on the series to delve back into the experience. Throughout the seven episodes so far, Miles has interviewed some fascinating characters, including Martin Bayfield, who was Robbie Coltrane’s body double as Hagrid; Nick Dudman, the make-up effects and animatronics supervisor for the first film; and her own mother, who talks about working as a chaperone on set. They’re not the celebrity interviews some might be clawing for, but as superfans wait for the HBO reunion, this show will colour in some fascinating details.