Playing with Neil Gust as Heatmiser, Elliott Smith had indulged his punkish rock side. With Roman Candle, his 1994 solo debut, Elliott Smith declared his independence, and showed off a quieter, more introspective side. With a four-track and an acoustic guitar, Smith sang of the mundane and the monumental in a simple, sometimes cryptic manner. The stripped-down approach seemed a bit of a shock in Portland, Oregon, where Smith had settled as a teen -- after all, the city was nearly as grunge-soaked as its urban neighbor to the north. Who would actually listen?

Many did, as it turned out. And even more are listening now, as well everyone should. Figure 8 comes two years after Smith performed his ""Miss Misery"" at the Academy Awards (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had certainly been listening while making Good Will Hunting) and released XO. On this new release, Smith retains the Lennon-esque simplicity and quirky lyrical phrasing that earned him critical praise in the past even as he digs deeper into his psyche and attempts to work through an off-kilter world.

As on XO, the central instrumental focus on Figure 8 is the acoustic guitar, with production touches (pop strings, power ballad drums, jangly electric guitars) added for surprisingly pleasing effect. Smith seems to be on a quest, as he uncovers emotional time bombs despite his best-laid plans and thick but useless defense armor. The car culture of Los Angeles (Smith settled in L.A. in 1999) permeates his songs; the album makes a fine highway companion with its constantly moving chords and Smith's reticent vocals. The ode to loss ""Can't Make a Sound"" gets a bit of alt-country flavor, ""Son of Sam"" becomes a romp of excess, and a rambling guitar drives the loved-'em-and-left-'em of ""Somebody That I Used to Know."" One of the best examples of Smith's M.O. is ""Stupidity Tries,"" which builds to a Verve-like fadeout finish as Smith quietly fights for his emotional identity. ""Everything Means Nothing to Me"" moves in a similar direction: Smith asserts an existential ennui, with only piano as witness, then the explosion and sudden quiet. Will Smith survive his journey? Figure 8 offers few clues, but what a ride.