St. Vincent - Actor

Two years ago, St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) came out of relative obscurity with her excellent debut album, Marry Me. With an album title that referenced Arrested Development and eleven tracks that ran the gamut from romantic to completely creepy, Clark charmed the entire indie community to its core. Now Clark has returned with her follow-up release, Actor, due out on May 5th. Although St. Vincent's sound hasn't changed too much from album to album, it's clear that Actor is much more focused on the details of each song than Marry Me was. Take the first four tracks alone on Actor (I dare you to find a better consecutive four tracks of any other 2009 release), from the swirling, delicate melodies of "The Strangers," to the subtle backing harmonies on "Save Me From What I Want," to the handclaps and percussion-heavy "The Neighbors," and ending with the zippy guitar riffs and mounting drums on "Actor Out Of Work," it's clear that Clark put a great deal of painstaking effort into writing and recording each of these tracks (and the entire album, really). Actor may not come off as immediate or catchy as Marry Me does on first listen, but it really is an album that needs time to grow on you before you're hit in the face with its complex beauty.

DOWNLOAD: St. Vincent - Actor [Beggars Banquet]
Recommended Tracks: "The Strangers," "Save Me From What I Want," "Actor Out Of Work," "Marrow," The Party."