On Depreciated, John R. Miller says he was eager to combine elements of country, blues, and rock to make his own sound. He wanted the album to conjure references to recently lost heroes like Prine, Walker and Shaver without sounding derivative. Miller has certainly achieved his own sound here with an album that is almost novelistic in its journey not only to the complicated relationship Miller has with the Shenandoah Valley but also into the mind of someone going through transitions.