Beautiful Carice van Houten is best known as Game of Thrones’ Melisandre, the Red Priestess of Asshai.  Less well known is that the Dutch star of film and television is also a talented songstress, and last year she released her stunning debut album, See You On The Ice.

The album fuses an entrancing blend of bewitching vocals with stirring indie instrumentals.  I won’t pretend that this album is a non-stop toe-tapper, but the record is definitely worth a listen.  Personally, I like to pop this moody little assemblage on when I need something to unwind to whilst working… it’s that kind of album!

Kicking off with deep, rumbling bass and tribal drums, followed by strings, synth and Van Houten’s seductive vocals, the listener is transported into another world, conjuring images of fantastical creatures and darkness.  Siren Or The Sea is as dangerously enticing as its name suggests, and when the drums and bass drop into a thrumming dance beat at the song’s climax, one realises what a ride this album is about to take them on.

The tracks that follow uniquely combine elements of rock, pop, classical and world music, to produce a complex, interesting and easy-to-appreciate sound that makes each song a stand-alone stunner.  The only way I can describe that sound is as follows… It’s like the genetically-modified lovechild of Queens of the Stone Age, Debbie Harry, George Gershwin and The Cinematic Orchestra.  It’s not quite like anything else out there, and that’s why today’s spotlight is on this album!  It is sensual, melodious, easy to unwind to and easy to get lost in.

The album features a beautiful duet, Particle of Light, with British singer Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons, for whom Van Houten had previously starred in a music video. That in turn leads neatly into the singer’s debut single, Emily.  It’s not the best song on the album, in my opinion, but it is probably the most catchy and the most mainstream.  It’s a sensible choice for a first release, really, and the video is fab!

My main criticism of the album is that it doesn’t always flow easily from track to track, and I find myself feeling a little jarred again as Recovery Mission begins.  Nevertheless, the song itself is interesting and thoroughly enjoyable -another quality piece in a delightfully indulgent collection of diverse and well-crafted songs for which Van Houten and her band deserve kudos.

The album is well produced, and if one listens closely, it is possible to hear faint thunderstorms, flowing tides and vinyl-grain subtly swept under the blankets of sound.

My favourite numbers on See You On The Ice come right at the end of the record. Track 9 – YOU.ME.BED.NOW. – is a jazzy number with a cracking beat and layers upon layers of complexity: the warmth of brass; the cut of strings; clever percussion; melodious overlaid keyboard lines; multiple vocal tracks; and an awesome dance break broken by a wild-west guitar line make this easily my favourite song on the album.

YOU.ME.BED.NOW is followed by the sultry and seductive End Of The World, which brings to mind moody jazz standards and icons like Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall and Nina Simone.  Then we are treated to a gorgeous rendition of Still I Dream Of It, a cover of one of The Beach Boys‘ lesser-known tracks.  Something about this version makes me feel like I’ve stepped through a cinema screen into a Technicolor movie from the 50s.  It is a powerful way to end an excellent album: uplifting, comforting and beautiful…

Listen to the album here and then let me know what you think.: