Tales from the Gas Station, Volume Four

Jon Grilz is the secret weapon of *Tales from the Gas Station, Volume Four*. His narration doesn’t just carry the weight of Townsend’s prose—it *elevates* it. The way he sinks into the voice of Jack’s self-proclaimed “biggest fan,” a man whose enthusiasm borders on religious fervor, is downright chilling in the best way. There’s a moment in the titular story where Grilz’s delivery of a throwaway line about “eternal loyalty” sent an actual shiver down my spine, and that’s before the horror even kicks in. The production is crisp, with just enough ambient hiss to make you feel like you’re stuck in the gas station with Jack, listening to the hum of failing neon signs. That said, there’s one quibble: Grilz’s attempt at a high-pitched, nasally voice for one of the side characters veers into *too* cartoonish, pulling me out of the otherwise immersive experience. The stories themselves are a mixed bag—some, like “The Last Pump,” are tight, terrifying little gems, while others, like the meandering “Midnight Shift Blues,” feel more like rambling campfire tales. But even the weaker entries benefit from Townsend’s knack for making the mundane terrifying, and Grilz’s performance ensures you’ll stick around for the payoff. If you’re the kind of listener who wants horror with a side of dark humor and a narrator who doesn’t treat his job like a chore, this is a five-hour commitment you won’t regret.