Incredible album of bleeding-heart catharsis from cellist Oliver Coates, think Arthur Russell doing drone metal with Fennesz, and you’re not far off Coates’ capacity for tear-jerking genius here.Acclaimed cellist, Oliver Coates’ tactile skills are in gloaming, distressed effect for his stunning 2nd side with RVNG INTL., showing why he’s sought-out for recording with everyone from Laurel Halo and Malibu to Mica Levi and Jonny Greenwood in recent times. Following the more frivolous urges of 2018’s ’Shelley’s On Zenn-la’, Coates keeps in step with the mood of 2020 with a definitive solo album that truly speaks to his credentials, but with an almost lyrically folkwise style of storytelling wrapped up in heathered and thistly textures and windswept dynamics

Working an exquisite tension between live playing, sampling and tempestuous storms of FX, Coates embraces his darker and more vulnerable side like his life depends on it, and maybe yours, too. The first half’s ‘Caregiver’ suite starts out broodingly ambiguous and sweeps from raging noise distortion to bittersweet keen and rawest, wasted harmonics, and the 2nd side sees us off with cinematic beauties like ‘Butoh’, the crushing riffs of ‘Reunification 2018’, and its tender kiss-off starring Malibu. Fans of high grade emotional punishment need to dive in with both feet.