| The On-Line Music Review & Information Ministry |
| Decyfer Down |
|
1. Crash
2. Desperate
3. Fading
4. Best I Can
5. Ride With Me
6. Wasting Away
7. Over My Head
8. Moving On
9. The Life
10. Forever With You
2. Desperate
3. Fading
4. Best I Can
5. Ride With Me
6. Wasting Away
7. Over My Head
8. Moving On
9. The Life
10. Forever With You
Crash
[Release Date: May 5, 2009] (INO Records)
Track Listing:
Track Listing:
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
4.0 out of 4
2.9 out of 3
2.0 out of 2
0.8 out of 1
9.7 out of 10
Message
Music
Production
Creativity
Overall Score
| 97% A+ |
Some big changes have taken place in the past year with Decyfer Down, including a new
lead singer, a devastating tour van accident, and re-recording their soon-to-be-released
sophomore album “Crash” twice to produce it with the new lead singer.
TJ Harris, formerly lead singer of the band Fighting Instinct, officially joined the group in
October 2008 after already having filling in for them in a few shows. Caleb Oliver left the
group for personal reasons, but according to a press release, there are no hard feelings
with the band. Caleb’s brother Josh Oliver, stated that “he is my brother, I love him, and
we as a band support him and still consider him a brother as well. Moving forward with
Decyfer Down, we are excited to have TJ as our new lead singer – the shows we’ve
done together have been great.”
Although TJ’s voice has a deeper, more guttural sound than Caleb’s voice, it fits in
perfectly with Decyfer Down’s passionate rock riffs and lyrical ballads.
The first song kicks things off with the title track, “Crash.” Actually, the first time I
listened to this song, I didn’t get what they were talking about. The lyrics seemed vague,
and I’m generally not interested in music that doesn’t have a message. But then I read a
press release, in which drummer and band founder Josh Oliver explains that the song
“shows the intensity of someone wanting to get through whatever issue they’re facing.
When you’re at a point in your life where diversity is tearing you apart… you can either
succumb to its pressure or crash through that circumstance and be better because of it!”
Everyone has a different obstacle in life they are facing, that never goes away.
Challenges continue to assault us all. “Crash” is getting out the message that even though
it may feel like your up against a brick wall, crash though it! Keep going. Run without
stopping till the wall crumbles.
A great quality about this album is that every song could stand on it’s own as a single.
They each have a unique sound and story, but together make a sturdy album with a lot of
legs to stand on. The second track, “Desperate,” is a powerful song about wanting and
needing God. Looking back on life only shows what we should have done, and we need
to depend now on God’s unfailing love, not after it’s too late. “Acting like it’s all okay/
Knowing that I'm in the way/ Seeing where I need to be/ But I need you to carry me/ …I
need a love that stands true/ I desperately want you.”
One of the most touching and personal songs on the album is “Best I can.” It’s about
God being able to see through the part of us we want other people to see. But there’s
more inside that’s sometimes hidden, and we need to work to be what God wants us to
be, and know that He’s there helping us. “I don’t live a perfect life/ But God knows I’m
trying/ The best I can/ And I have wasted so much time/ Pretending I’m not lying/ About
who I am/ Now I’m living the best I can.” This song really speaks to the heart of every
follower of Christ. We’re all doing the best we can, but still it’s never enough. But God
knows our hearts, and he knows we’re striving to please Him. It’s encouraging to know
that we’re not alone in our struggles.
“Wasting Away” is another one that’s going to get stuck in your head pretty quickly. We
need to let go of ourselves and give everything that we are to God. Only when we die to
ourselves, or we’ve wasted away, can God work through us. We have to be willing to
fully belong to him. “Every time I try to fight you/ I always end up right beside you/
Stuck in my ways/ It’s not too late/… I’m wasting away/ And it’s all I can take/ I’m
ready to change/ I’m not gonna break.”
“Forever with You” is an absolutely beautiful song that closes out the album, leaving
listeners with a quiet and reflective sense of peace. “Like shooting stars/ How brief we
are/ I wish this moment could last forever/ Here with you/ I am made new/ I want to
live/ Like every breath matters.” It’s a look at how fleeting our lies are, but how much
we matter to God all the same. Although we feel so small and God is so big, we can have
a unique closeness with Him that will leave each of us changed forever.
There is nothing negative to say about this album. The lyrics are meaningful and
personal, the vocals, passionate, and the music is genuinely artistic. Through all the
changes and personal struggles, Decyfer Down has worked hard and constant, and
successfully delivered an album that should satisfy old fans while drawing in new ones.
Closing Thoughts:
Lead singer TJ Harris said in a press release that “Crash is certainly capable of
connecting with the Christian and mainstream crowds, if only for the unflinching degree
of honesty within the lyrics and the overall vibe of the album. As a band, our hope is that
listeners will be inspired to explore their faith to even deeper degrees and that’s an energy
I continue to feel every time we deliver these songs on stage.”
You know an album is good when you find yourself swaying to the music in your head
hours after hearing it for the first time. Decyfer Down has really put out a hit album with
Crash. The music is energizing and the lyrics clearly show that drawing their audience
closer to God is a priority. I’m looking forward to listening to this one over and over
again.
lead singer, a devastating tour van accident, and re-recording their soon-to-be-released
sophomore album “Crash” twice to produce it with the new lead singer.
TJ Harris, formerly lead singer of the band Fighting Instinct, officially joined the group in
October 2008 after already having filling in for them in a few shows. Caleb Oliver left the
group for personal reasons, but according to a press release, there are no hard feelings
with the band. Caleb’s brother Josh Oliver, stated that “he is my brother, I love him, and
we as a band support him and still consider him a brother as well. Moving forward with
Decyfer Down, we are excited to have TJ as our new lead singer – the shows we’ve
done together have been great.”
Although TJ’s voice has a deeper, more guttural sound than Caleb’s voice, it fits in
perfectly with Decyfer Down’s passionate rock riffs and lyrical ballads.
The first song kicks things off with the title track, “Crash.” Actually, the first time I
listened to this song, I didn’t get what they were talking about. The lyrics seemed vague,
and I’m generally not interested in music that doesn’t have a message. But then I read a
press release, in which drummer and band founder Josh Oliver explains that the song
“shows the intensity of someone wanting to get through whatever issue they’re facing.
When you’re at a point in your life where diversity is tearing you apart… you can either
succumb to its pressure or crash through that circumstance and be better because of it!”
Everyone has a different obstacle in life they are facing, that never goes away.
Challenges continue to assault us all. “Crash” is getting out the message that even though
it may feel like your up against a brick wall, crash though it! Keep going. Run without
stopping till the wall crumbles.
A great quality about this album is that every song could stand on it’s own as a single.
They each have a unique sound and story, but together make a sturdy album with a lot of
legs to stand on. The second track, “Desperate,” is a powerful song about wanting and
needing God. Looking back on life only shows what we should have done, and we need
to depend now on God’s unfailing love, not after it’s too late. “Acting like it’s all okay/
Knowing that I'm in the way/ Seeing where I need to be/ But I need you to carry me/ …I
need a love that stands true/ I desperately want you.”
One of the most touching and personal songs on the album is “Best I can.” It’s about
God being able to see through the part of us we want other people to see. But there’s
more inside that’s sometimes hidden, and we need to work to be what God wants us to
be, and know that He’s there helping us. “I don’t live a perfect life/ But God knows I’m
trying/ The best I can/ And I have wasted so much time/ Pretending I’m not lying/ About
who I am/ Now I’m living the best I can.” This song really speaks to the heart of every
follower of Christ. We’re all doing the best we can, but still it’s never enough. But God
knows our hearts, and he knows we’re striving to please Him. It’s encouraging to know
that we’re not alone in our struggles.
“Wasting Away” is another one that’s going to get stuck in your head pretty quickly. We
need to let go of ourselves and give everything that we are to God. Only when we die to
ourselves, or we’ve wasted away, can God work through us. We have to be willing to
fully belong to him. “Every time I try to fight you/ I always end up right beside you/
Stuck in my ways/ It’s not too late/… I’m wasting away/ And it’s all I can take/ I’m
ready to change/ I’m not gonna break.”
“Forever with You” is an absolutely beautiful song that closes out the album, leaving
listeners with a quiet and reflective sense of peace. “Like shooting stars/ How brief we
are/ I wish this moment could last forever/ Here with you/ I am made new/ I want to
live/ Like every breath matters.” It’s a look at how fleeting our lies are, but how much
we matter to God all the same. Although we feel so small and God is so big, we can have
a unique closeness with Him that will leave each of us changed forever.
There is nothing negative to say about this album. The lyrics are meaningful and
personal, the vocals, passionate, and the music is genuinely artistic. Through all the
changes and personal struggles, Decyfer Down has worked hard and constant, and
successfully delivered an album that should satisfy old fans while drawing in new ones.
Closing Thoughts:
Lead singer TJ Harris said in a press release that “Crash is certainly capable of
connecting with the Christian and mainstream crowds, if only for the unflinching degree
of honesty within the lyrics and the overall vibe of the album. As a band, our hope is that
listeners will be inspired to explore their faith to even deeper degrees and that’s an energy
I continue to feel every time we deliver these songs on stage.”
You know an album is good when you find yourself swaying to the music in your head
hours after hearing it for the first time. Decyfer Down has really put out a hit album with
Crash. The music is energizing and the lyrics clearly show that drawing their audience
closer to God is a priority. I’m looking forward to listening to this one over and over
again.
Review Written By: Liz Zelinski [liz.zelinski@christianmusicreview.org] Date Written: April 20, 2009
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