The Elephant in my DAW

[acorn]

Here's my version of "The Elephant."
Like many have said, the biggest challenge is that verse vocal. Added some delay to make it sound further away without killing it completely. Snare proved a challenge as well.
Curious what others will think. 

[Roy]

The verse vocal is the biggest challenge? I haven't heard that. How so? I'm not trying to be a jerk I'm just curious as to why. It's relatively well recorded. Plus, it's the verse vocal, the second most important element after the chorus vocal. Everything should be a challenge around it.

As to this mix the vocal feels a bit sibilant and buried. The contrast between the verse and chorus might be too stark. I'm not sure it has to sound further away. It's a fairly vulnerable lyric so it should speak closer and connect to the listener but I might be wrong.

[acorn]

The verse vocal is the biggest challenge? I haven't heard that. How so? I'm not trying to be a jerk I'm just curious as to why. It's relatively well recorded. Plus, it's the verse vocal, the second most important element after the chorus vocal. Everything should be a challenge around it.

As to this mix the vocal feels a bit sibilant and buried. The contrast between the verse and chorus might be too stark. I'm not sure it has to sound further away. It's a fairly vulnerable lyric so it should speak closer and connect to the listener but I might be wrong.

Agree with it being a bit sibilant and the dynamics problem between sections. As for the verse, maybe it just my personal opinion but I thought the vocal sounded a little too raw without a sense of space.

[DrakeEq]

The snare is a little soft compared to the kick. I suggest getting those more even, and then bringing up the drums in the mix overall. Conversely, the vocals are a bit *too* present (and the slapback effect could stand to be lowered and blended into the mix more -- right now it's booming).