PROFESSIONAL QUITTER by Zist

For fans of Lou Reed, the more toned down work of Captain Beefheart, Jeffrey Lewis, traditional country, and the look you see in everyone’s eyes of just struggling to carry on, PROFESSIONAL QUITTER by Zist takes us to the slopes of Sisyphus with a psychedelic twist on a time-tested sound. Each song presents freely associated lyrics which portray our hopelessness in the face of life’s incessant challenges, as all of our effort ultimately amounts to a world not unlike the one we tried to change. A focus on acoustic guitars and banjos centers the album in deep old time traditions, with additions like upright bass, electric guitar, and drums introducing elements of blues, rnb, and rock n roll. Each track plays out like a continuous meditation, unfolding naturally as the frustrations of foiled plans, undershot expectations, and cascading problems pile up and force us into an emotional psychosis. However, at the end of each track, another begins, suggesting we do the same and take on the next challenge, no matter how fruitless things may feel.