Ghost Funk Orchestra heads back to the garage on Leave Me Alone

Ghost Funk Orchestra returns to its rawer roots with “Leave Me Alone”, a new preview of Yours in The Ranks of Death, the group’s fifth studio album, due December 4 via Karma Chief Records.

After spending recent albums exploring jazz, lounge and soul territory, Seth Applebaum has chosen to bring back the garage-rock and fuzz-rock energy that played a larger role in Ghost Funk Orchestra’s early recordings.

Back to the garage

“Leave Me Alone” deliberately strips things down. Instead of placing horns and keyboards at the centre, GFO returns to a guitar-driven framework and gives the rhythm section more room to settle into the groove.

Camellia Hartman leads the track on vocals, marking her second official GFO appearance after the single “Yours”. The result retains the band’s psychedelic, danceable character while delivering it with a more direct punch.

A more personal record

Yours in The Ranks of Death also turns inward. Applebaum has pared back sonic interludes and sampled effects while writing some of his most personal lyrics to date. The album also brings several regular touring musicians into the studio, giving the live band a stronger sense of ownership over the project.

The record stretches in the opposite direction on “A Vision of Crimson”, a seven-minute closing piece built around sweeping brass and winds. Between those extremes, Ghost Funk Orchestra finds a way to revisit its earliest instincts without standing still.

Yours in The Ranks of Death is released December 4 via Karma Chief Records.

Source: Ghost Funk Orchestra / Popstock! Distribuciones press release.