Near the end of her new album Open Road, singer-songwriter and Inverness native Stefanie Keys drudges up the past and reexamines an unsolved shooting 24 years old. During Western Weekend in 1992, Amos Crane was gunned down on the back steps of the Grandi building, just 20 yards from the festivities. His death, though it took place in a crowd, remains a mystery. Ms. Keys’s song, “Amos Crane,” offers an empathic first-person view into the killing while exhibiting some of her strongest songwriting traits: the evocation of a dusty western secret through chilling guitar down strums and a sharpened lyrical bite: “Small towns have a way of keeping secrets in the dark/ At the end of the day, we all play a part.” In spite of the tune’s wicked demeanor, the remainder of Open Road is an upbeat affair that glorifies a backroads drive through West Marin. Ms. Keys, who now lives in Petaluma, successfully crowdfunded support for the album with a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year and raised over $9,000 to cover studio sessions, CD pressings and other costs. The album’s cover art has her standing on the shoulder of Point Reyes-Petaluma Road with Black Mountain glistening in the backdrop. (The photo was shot by Light contributor Art Rogers.) “Sleeping Lady” is a tranquil nod to Mount Tamalpais that traces the lore behind the mountain’s beauty; “Highway to Your Soul” is the album’s most robust rocker, with a slick guitar riff and a hum-along chorus. Ms. Keys’s path took her from busking on the streets of Paris to singing with George Clinton and P-Funk to a stint as Janis Joplin’s substitute in Big Brother & The Holding Company. These varying musical styles seep into her new record, which straddles funk and blues rock. As does a drive in West Marin, Open Road has its moments stuck behind a hay truck; in particular, “Cold Day,” which downshifts into a socio-cultural cry for peace riddled with intense vocal manipulation. But the detours are short and Ms. Keys’s LP tends to glide more than stagger. To commemorate the album’s release, there will be a launch party at the Old Western Saloon with two sets, one at 4 p.m. and another at 7 p.m., on Sunday, Nov. 6. There will be a $10 cover.