The Ghost of Joseph Buck

The Ghost of Joseph Buck are a Denver band, for sure. The band was formed in Denver and all its members live here. But the band’s heart, its music, encompasses the entirety of the American West mythos. The Ghost of Joseph Buck peppers simple yet strong music with Western motifs like barroom piano, the occasional organ and mariachi horns, but at times they bring along the ballsiness of rock with guitar moments that almost cross over into hard rock. Despite wandering towards rock, Polly Beck’s vocals and Joe Franzen's lyrics maintain consistency with the band's Americana roots. Beck, who founded the band along with husband Joe Fanzen back in 2011, has a somewhat low, populist voice that’s more powerful than pretty. It’s the perfect voice for carrying lyrics about outlaws, lost loves, struggles, and other Western themes like murderers and preachers. All this talk about the West will likely lead you to expect something specific, but The Ghost of Joseph Buck do well avoiding outright nostalgia and cliche. The West is an inspiration, a launching point and not a handbook for the band’s music. - Hey Reverb