Music / First LookAlbum stream: Cloud Boat – Book of HoursSinger-songwriting craft and the skipping steps of UK bass's year zero unite insideShareLink copied ✔️May 20, 2013MusicFirst LookTextCharlie Robin Jones With simplicity, elegence and gentle warmth, Cloud Boat's Sam Ricketts and Tom Clarke have played their way into the hearts and minds of thousands of music fans. Their first-among-equals status of UK bass music's class of 2011 was assured when they signed to the offshoot of James Blake's R&S Records, and in many ways, they conjure up the mood of the generation whose formative years were spent tuning into Boiler Rooms and waiting for "Crooks & Lovers". Working within that so-very-now mix of pinning and swing, they breath fresh, full life into the skipping steps of British underground dance music with the full spectrum of songcraft and folky wanderings, finally uniting the twin figures of the campus bedroom dreamer – the folk singer-songwriter and the pirate radio DJ. As occasional Dazed writer Sam Hockley-Smith wrote in a Fader piece last year, their sound is rooted in the post-rock of Hood and the wandering folktronica of the late 90s and early 00s – a very British sense of music being of sad and nice at once. This is sexy, pure and very, very emosh music, and we are chuffed to offer a stream of their debut album, "Book Of Hours". It's out on R&S offshoot Apollo next week, but you can listen to it exclsuively on Dazed below. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREThe rise of North West in 5 tracksThe Moment: How A.G. Cook turned Brat summer into a nightmareSalomonWatch a mini documentary about the inner workings of SalomonWinter Olympics 2026: Ranking the best music from the figure skating eventsEverything we know about Beyoncé’s rumoured rock eraBACARDÍIn pictures: Manchester’s electrifying, multigenerational party spiritI(nterne)t girl duo Mgna Crrrta share their pop culture picksThe stop-motion Lego chat show starring all your favourite artistsRap music isn’t dead – it’s evolvingThe Moment: 6 times musicians made their own filmsBerlin: Is the party finally over?Alt-pop yearner Sarah Kinsley shares her internet obsessionsEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy