Late last month the New York Times published a piece on the rise of “NPR Voice,” a peculiar speech pattern that’s ballooned on the radio and podcasts and is characterized by an informal and slightly conversational style. Writing about its pregnant pauses and colloquialisms, Teddy Wayne noted the curious nature of a style of radio storytelling that’s meant to appear authentically casual: “The irony is that such presentations are highly rehearsed, with each caesura calculated and every syllable stressed in advance.”
That’s the snapshot, but to fully engage with You Can’t Run From the Rhythm you have to listen to the entirety of “The Labrador.” Like many podcasts and radio programs these days DJ Rafal wastes no time drawing you into an elaborate, consuming story, and his bated breath and each stumble not only add a richness to his story but a sense of authenticity as well. The story is, of course, made up, and another example of the love and attention to detail Serengeti gives not only to Kenny Dennis but the world in which he exists. It’s a world almost exactly like the one we live in, but one in which Kenny is a person with a history, a family tree, and a network of friends and family rather than a character Serengeti dreamed up.
