Review Summary: Decyfer Down has evolved beyond themselves with Scarecrow.
”I’m facing my reflection once again. I can see the end of me where it begins.”, sings T.J. Harris on
Worst Enemy, setting the record straight that it is he, and he alone, who holds the key to his destiny. Themes of personal reservation and moral rigidness run rampant throughout
Scarecrow, and it shows you just how this is a shout-out to the world, whilst also being a search for one’s own identity.
Scarecrow sees Decyfer Down redefine themselves and trying to move out of the shadow of their own past. While the actual release of
Crash was basically T.J. Harris covering the songs written by Caleb Oliver, his stamp is firmly sealed in this venture. From the very first riff, a southern twang can be clearly heard, and it allows the listeners to get attuned to just what they’re getting here. What impresses the most, though, is just how mature they’ve become over the past 4 years. It’s very hard to find a band in today’s rock scene that would not shy away from telling it exactly like it is. In this day and age of lyrics about teenage crushes, parties, and whatnot, Decyfer Down serves a unique plate of “in your face” lyrics, questioning religious hypocrisy and moral ineptitude. Even the message behind the album art is as clear as daylight. And while the theological inclination might irk some, they only need to see the sentiments raised in
Scarecrow and
Say Hello to realize that it can appeal to just about anybody.
Harris’ vocal performance is downright amazing from top to bottom. Whether it’s rockers like
Memory, or soulful tracks like
So In Love, you
feel the words coming out of his mouth. It also shows you just how important identifying with your lyrics actually is. While his performance on
Crash was by no means poor, one could pinpoint exactly where he felt detached to the songs. Accompanying that sentiment are some top notch lyrics. In
Say Hello – allegedly about suicide - Harris wonders,
”Never saw lead that could build a wall. Your concrete hall was no one’s plan”. While on
Scarecrow he questions the hypocrites by singing,
”Hey you, Mister Holy One, don't let no dirty soul get through that door. Stand tall as the wicked ones drag their dirty sins across your floor.” On Bleeding Lies he contemplates his own position,
” 'Cause my soul's in the wind, but I wish I could learn to fly.” I could maybe select a few lyrics from every song, but you get the gist.
The instrumentalization has also improved greatly over the last album(s). Chris Clonts has taken to the Southern sound like a duck to water, and come up with some extremely catchy riffs. On
Worst Enemy, the grinding guitars really suit Harris’ delivery as he trudges through three octaves in the same chorus. And on the opener,
Memory, the slow intro leads to a great wall of sound, catching the listeners by surprise immediately. The drumming on
Westboro is notable, though it falls by the wayside on most of the album. And for bass lovers,
Say Hello would turn out to be quite an interesting track to learn.
There
are some low points in the album, namely
Some Things Never Change and
Fight to Win, which – while they are not
that bad – don’t really manage to compare to the other tracks. The two tracks on the Deluxe Edition make up for them, though; especially
Back Breaker which really should have been on the standard edition. It’s a fairly better rocker than
Fight to Win, and it also delivers a stronger message with the lyrics,
”Back Breaker strikes again, I’ll fight you ‘til the end. You’ll never see the world through my eyes.”
Decyfer Down has evolved beyond themselves with
Scarecrow. While
Crash made them more popular, this album should convert casual fans into firm believers. Every track is filled with a depth that is sorely missed in today’s rock genre. There is a great deal of variety, even in this 12 track presentation, which should make you come back to it often enough. Also evident is the fact that they have finally found their identity as Decyfer Down v.2, and they’re set out to ensure that it becomes their only image. What listeners would find the most respectable, though, is the fact that they’re not self indulgent anymore. The songs end when they need to, rather than have meaningless repetitions added to them which only take away from their messages.
Scarecrow is a career highlight; now let’s see them try and create an appropriate follow up.
Recommended Tracks: Worst Enemy, Say Hello, Bleeding Lies, Back Breaker
