Robyn Hitchcock, for all his offbeat brilliance, is far from being a household name. This in spite of delivering a consistent body of work that spans nearly 30 years. Yes it was 1977 when the first Soft Boys record was released, way back before CDs or the internet or . . . AIDS came along. When I first read of Spooked and it's intriguing collaboration with Gillian Welch and veteran folk and alt/country sideman David Rawlings, I got the impression that this record was to be some sort of experiment. To be honest, at first, I was a bit disappointed when it turned out to be a pretty typical sounding Hitchcock record.

Just in case you might have expectations of this kind, you should know that Welch's contributions are limited to harmony vocals, that don't sound discernibly different from when Robyn Harmonizes with himself. Similarly, Rawlings' dobro, slide guitar and other folky touches, don't do much to change Hitchcock's trademark sound. The good news however, is that once you come to terms with all this and take the record for a spin, it becomes quite plain that Spooked is the most compelling work that Hitchcock has done . . . maybe ever.

While still playful, and not without a fair measure of Robyn's squirrel-nut wordplay, Spooked hits pay dirt with a handful of gorgeously plaintive ballads. The opener "Television" rings true as an indictment of our obsession with the telly, and "Try'n To Get To Heaven Before They Close The Door," could well be the finest Dylan cover I've heard since Jerry Garcia died.

I don't want to give the impression that the record is depressing and bleak. Again, more than half of the tracks have a lively Beatlesque bounce and jangle. "Creeped Out" is a gleefully fiendish treat and Robyn's gift for live, extemporaneous gab gets a run up the flagpole on "Welcome to Earth." The closing track, the truly gritty "Flanagan's Song," seems a bit autobiographical in it's soberingly introspective look at the life-of-the-party, after the party's over. I really think you could make a strong case for this being his finest work and one of the better albums of the year. I think it's going to take Elliot Smith's posthumous opus to dislodge Spooked from my player.

I haven't had the opportunity to see Jonathan Demme's film Storefront Hitchcock, but I wasn't impressed by the accompanying CD, nor was I satisfied with the songs that were selected for his best-of collection. Spooked is as solid and approachable as the best songs from Element of Light, Moss Elixer and Perspex Island and not marred by as much bizarre-for-the-sake-of bizarre trappings.

If you've never tried any Hitchcock, this is as good a place to start as any. True it's a more somber work than you'd expect form the witty and often warped Englishman, but there are a handful of absolute diamonds here, and very little rough. As for fans of Welch or Rawlings who may be expecting a country-inflected hybrid of some kind, be warned - this is a somewhat subdued record by one of the most British of all artists - no one injects British into his vocal stylings any more than Robyn Hitchcock.