Two years after her promising debut Marry Me, St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, has returned with her second album Actor, a consistently rewarding disc that’s sure to please fans of her first album. Clark has managed to take the strengths of Marry Me and amplify them, while eliminating the inconsistencies that plagued it, resulting in a pleasantly catchy album that’s a joy to listen to.

2007′s Marry Me was a strong album, but it had its weaker tracks that kept it from being a true knockout. Actor pretty much eliminates this issue entirely. Every song present has something to offer thats different and unique. However that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any true standouts to talk about.

First single “Actor Out of Work”, more or less the title track, powers forward for two minutes and fifteen seconds without taking a breath. The whole thing feels like one building crescendo, and it gives the impression that there is no chorus. As with all of her best work, Clark’s voice is at least partially responsible for the track’s success, carrying the tune with impressive grace. It’s over before you realize, but don’t be surprised if you have Clark’s wavy “oooh oooh’s” stuck in your head afterward.

Speaking of insidious hooks, there are perhaps none more subtle yet addictive than those of opener “The Strangers.” Arguably Clark’s best song to date, its beautiful lilting verses are bookended by the same catchy refrain, so be prepared to explain to people why you’re singing “Paint the black hole blacker” out loud. Crunching guitars kick in at the 2:33 mark and the song reveals its teeth, but by then it’s too late, it already has its hooks in you. It’s a showcase for Clark’s dynamic songwriting which often has the songs changing tempos and volume levels. This device can’t be overlooked when talking about why her music is engaging, because it’s these shifts that keep the songs from becoming boring.

“Marrow,” does the quiet-pretty, loud-ugly thing as good as any song in the St. Vincent catalog. It’s not a particularly original or innovative device, but it does so much for Clark’s tunes that it’s impossible not to mention. “Marrow” divides the two opposing styles between verse and chorus, and they play off of each other to great effect, giving more “oomph” to the choruses, and making the verses all the prettier by comparison.

Clark’s voice is strikingly beautiful, which is why it works so well as a counterpoint to her songs’ louder moments, making these songs much more interesting than those of other female vocalists who choose to keep things mostly low-key. Clark never abuses this dynamic either, which keeps it from feeling overused.

Those looking for the all-out quiet beauty of songs like “Marry Me” can still find it here. “The Party” never gets in your face, and features some of the prettiest vocal work of Clark’s career. Her voice is the main showcase here, with little more than minimal piano accompaniment for the first couple minutes. At the 2:42 mark the song stalls out for a moment, only to have Clark’s voice come rushing back in with orchestral backing. It’s a beautiful movement that closes out the song and demonstrates perhaps better than any other St. Vincent song, the power of Clark’s impeccable vocalizing.

The fact that Actor lets the listener have it both ways, with balls-out rock moments and beautiful, understated melodies, sometimes within the same song, sometimes not, is really what makes it a success. It’s catchy, pretty, and never boring. What more can you ask for?