The Louche - Google the word and you'll find pages on the appreciation of the original absinthe ritual, 'la louche', where ice cubes were dropped in a glass of absinthe, teasing out essential oils from the herbs within to release a consciousness-expanding effect. The Louche live up to their name by cutting their blissfully languorous, bottle-necked guitars and yearning harmonica sighs with a healthy dose of space and momentary pauses which unlock the music's almost transcendental power. The Nicholas Nickleby pub in North London seems a decidedly unglamorous setting for the birth of a musical collective specializing in blissful, sonic reverie. But in 2008, four musicians with completely diverse musical backgrounds chose to merge these seemingly incompatible genres and the result has been stunning. The combining of their influences (r&b, country, space rock, film soundtracks) and individual talents has created an elegant, dreamy musical landscape.