I was really looking forward to after listening to the 3 song EP last winter. Well, it finally came out after several delays and a lead singer change. Would it live up to expectations? Could they keep going without Caleb? Read on…

After Caleb Oliver’s departure last October, lead singer duties fell to TJ Harris, the former front man for Fight Instinct. Rounding out the current band roster is Josh Oliver (Caleb’s brother) on drums, Brandon Mills and Chris Clonts on guitar.

So how does TJ do stepping into Caleb’s shoes? I’m sorry, it’s a question that has to be asked. Caleb just flat out owned the songs from the EP (oddly enough, the album doesn’t contain “Now I’m Alive”). I’ll say that for the most part, he does a great job with the vocals. He’s got a good set of pipes. And in all honesty, the only songs that feel awkward to me are the 2 from the EP: “Crash” and “Best I can,” As I said before, those are Caleb’s songs.

TJ does nail “Desperate” and “Fading Away”. They are easily my favorites from the album. Both are hard-driving and probably give a preview of where Decypher Down is headed musically. Both speak of their need for God in their life.

“Ride With Me” is a fun rock-n-roll tune encouraging the listener to follow along and they’ll introduce you to the answers to life you’re looking for. 3 guesses as to what that answer is.

The album is finished up with the rock ballad “Forever With You.” It’s a call out to God; a call of devotion and worship. It’s a very solid song, a good one to end the album on.

So what’s my verdict on the album? Yeah, did change their sound up a bit, but I think they had to. TJ is a different singer, he can’t, nor should he, sound like Caleb. In my mind, this is probably a new band and TJ’s input will be different. Are they still finding their way a bit? Certainly. They’ve been through a lot in the last few months and had to get an album out on top of all that. I think they delivered.

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