Usually actors who delve into the world of rock music often achieve dubious and quite often laughable results. (Did somebody say “The Return of Bruno” by Bruce Willis?) There are exceptions to every rule, and Phantom Planet is making a bid to be that exception.

Phantom Planet features actors Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore” and “Slackers”) on drums and Alex Greenwald (“Donnie Darko”) on vocals and guitar. The band even borrowed its name from a ’60s sci-fi movie.

“Guest” is Phantom Planet’s second release, following up its 1998 debut, “Phantom Planet is Missing.”

The Los Angeles-based quintet shies away from the guitar-oriented rock that dominated its first release and instead shifts gears toward piano-based, mid-tempo ballads.

Two of the album’s best tracks are indicative of this shift: the Wilco-ish country-pop of “Always on My Mind” and the Radiohead-esque “One Ray of Sunlight.” (Greenwald sounds eerily like Thom Yorke on the latter.)

The album’s ubiquitous first single, “California,” is an ode for not only those who live in the Golden State, but for anyone who travels a lot. Supposedly written on tour, Greenwald’s lyrics sound almost whiny. But this works considering he was probably part homesick and part excited to be heading home after some considerable time away.

A better choice for the album’s first single would have been either of the tracks previously mentioned or “Anthem.”

“Anthem” finds vocalist Greenwald attempting and struggling to become a spokesman of sorts for Generation Y. “This whole world needs an anthem/ And I am trying to put the words where they belong.”

“Guest” is a step forward for the band, and one would hope that its members continue to grow as artists. It’s an album that won’t blow you away the first time, but one that gets better with repeated listenings.

Phantom Planet is a legitimate band, and it looks as though it won’t be exiting stage-left just yet.