The fourth in a series of recordings produced in the punk-method by Dave Little and Salim Nourallah at Pleasantry Lane in Dallas features 10 brand new tracks of Dave brilliance. The way more records should be made, the punk-method relies almost entirely on astute skills and studio mastery of crack musicians to achieve fresh, efficient tracking without sacrificing an ounce of quality. To assist them in this challenge, Dave and Salim invited Joe Reyes (Buttercup), Chad Stockslager (King Bucks) and Scott McPherson (Bright Eyes, She and Him) to round out the sessions and work their individual magic on this magical set of tunes.

Striking a decidedly more solemn tone this time around, this particular foray is all about a vibe. Salim and Dave whittled this collection from an initial wellspring of around 30 songs. The prolific songwriter focuses many of these tunes around his new-found fingerpicking style, framing and punctuating his often dark observations on life, love and growing older. Arrangements are classically Dave, sparse and economical in both lyric and structure, with signature Salim-isms woven throughout in the form of minimalist washes, subtle percussives and hypnotic Eastern melodic accents. The stylistic spectrum is what you’ve come to expect from Dave, musically adventurous while ever-straddling the poignant and pointed line between hope and despair, humor and irony.

Grey Expectations is Dave’s strongest most cohesive set to date, a (sadly) brief affair that will draw you in and weave its own little web around you. Stand out tracks include Casket Fries, Loosen the Reins, Guilty Birds, Blood and You Will I Promise You Will.

The inside dope is Dave is already tracking the follow-up to this wonderful and intriguing set.