Listen: Cloud Boat – Youthern

London duo Cloud Boat drop another yearning slice of electro-folk beauty from upcoming album Book Of Hours.

There’s a stark fragility to the nuanced minimalism of Cloud Boat’s soundscapes that gives their mournful electronica a distinctive human touch. Over a instrumental backing constructed of little more the fractured skittering of a sparse beat and the subtle prettiness of its lush post-rock guitar wash, ‘Youthern’ is driven by the majesty of its choral melody. As cold as the lyrics might feel, revolving around the alienated refrain of “I’ve never felt love, ’cause of the state of us”, there’s a warmth in the depthless, hymnal quality at the song’s soulful core.

‘Youthern’ comes backed by B-side ‘Hammerspace’, and is released on 20 May through R&S Records imprint, Apollo Records. The band are due to make a rare live outing at the Lexington, with Nadine Shah, on 29 May, be sure to catch them.