u/Matrixfx187

I'm in North Texas and this lawn has been neglected for years but I'm determined to get a nice turf. I've been cutting at 0.5" with a reel mower but the lawn is still so much higher than my sidewalk and makes the edge look terrible. Is this all thatch?

I noticed a ton of dirt there too but was wondering if there's a way to lower this without cutting into the dirt. Would hitting it with a thatch rake do it? I know it'll probably look terrible right after so I'm hesitant to try it unless it's really what I need here...