21/07/2026
Honoured to be asked to write an official album review for 'the man' C Rae for his latest release 'Almost Healed'.
Bro sent me the album link and I knocked it up in a week.
Might make it into a spread one day.
Album Review - Almost Healed LP by C Rae
In an industry saturated by gritty drill and trap music, defined by the exploration of dark minor keys, generic snares and fast, rattling hi-hats; in Almost Healed, C Rae has embraced this current trend popularised by youth, and pioneered his own adaptation of genre by coalescing two styles of hip hop, one distant yet nostalgic and one more present and obvious. The captivating opening tracks, showcase a hybrid blend of inventive driving, piano melodies and frustrated lyricism; inherent in early 2000’s Eminem meltdowns such as The Way I Am, coupled with modern moody chord progressions, and haunting atmospherics. This expertly paints a canvas forging two generations of music; one representing C Rae’s affective childhood, and the other his musical exposure in adulthood. This triumph in composition resonates in a frantic and authoritative energy, conjugated with more recognised sad and tense tonalites, embellished by ultra-low frequency bass grooves.
Besides the aforementioned, musical production centring on the amalgamation of two diverse styles of hip hop, there is more at play here as expressive masculinity, makes a sudden succession for the sentimental euphony of Twin Flame. This anthem of flickering hope leaps out as a certain hit and resonates with heartfelt and alluring romantic infatuation. The beautifully balanced song radiates an exquisite panned aural experience adopting reverberated spatial freedom within the final mix, and offers immense hope recounted through C Rae’s retrospective and deeply introspective lyrics. This dialogue discussing joy, celebrating his relationship with his partner, is reflected as a mature duality of expression in harmony with the seductive female hook.
I’ve got to be honest, for an independent artist who is barely scraping up 1000 views per release on streaming platforms, Almost Healed by C Rae, screams out unquivering potential for success, granted any dedicated marketing strategies. Twin Flame as a possible lead single, cries out SUPERSTAR!, a declaration made even more poignant and credible when appreciating the mixing and production duties were also handled by the man himself at Crooked Halo Studios.
However, just as I praise a digression towards a more prominent and endearing, style of popular music, the man surprises the listener once again by unexpectedly reverting towards his more recognised, manically impelled, pianic musical interpretations and processed vocal chops, for the remainder of the album. When re-aligned with C Rae’s natural, heated lyrical approach, distinctly resembling a bipolar mood swing, the musical journey concludes with authoritative flow and inflection - in contrast to the more contemplative narration expressed in Twin Flame. Almost Healed manages to capture a product influenced by two popular sub-genres of hip hop, representing vastly separated epochs, by embracing the rare, distinct magnetism offered by otherwise heterogenous modes of music, and the result is an unpredictable and exhilarating LP exhibiting his vast versatility in style.
Written & Edited by Myron Meates (The Remedy AUS Hip Hop Magazine)
