It's a hard fact that many musicians inspired by the blues have been unable to transcend the genre and find their own voice. Kevn Kinney of Atlanta's Drivin' n' Cryin' and Mark Lanegan of Seattle's Screaming Trees have both released second solo albums in an effort to achieve emotional catharsis by digging into their musical roots.

Kinney has unplugged all the way down to a bare guitar and vocal (a...