It's a good song. I'm hearing steady improvement with each mix. I hate to keep going on about it, but it still seems congested. To my ears, the guitars are the root of all your troubles. Don't get me wrong--it's good playing. Just aren't quite sitting.
Is that rhythm guitar still doubled? If so, what would happen if you muted the double , then hard panned the primary rhythm guitar and turned down the level? Lower than you would think, almost too low? I'll bet the center of your mix would open up like magic.
That bass is playing a great line but sounds anemic in the mix. If you could clean up the middle, you could boost the level of the bass. Also, I think the harmony vocal is too loud. Again, if you cleared out the center, you could pan it just to one side and lower the level. It would still cut through if it didn't have to compete with the guitars.
All this is based on my current taste, and could be totally wrong for you. My quest lately has been to think of "space" or "air" as being like another instrument in the mix. That means asking, where will I pan it, how will I get it to sit with the other instruments? It sounds paradoxical, but it's been a kind of revelation for me. I'm turning down my rhythm guitars lower than ever before in my life, and really liking the effect. The secret to getting guitar levels low while still doing their job seems to be hard panning.
Have you thought of throwing this up on the Mix This! forum? Might be interesting to hear what a totally fresh set of ears might come up with.
