I think the arrangements of the songs are getting more complex, which is brave. You'll probably find that after a few listens you 'get' these.
As for the mix, I agree re. the low vocals, but I have learnt not to judge the mix by YouTube videos.
I read somewhere that the album comes in at just over half an hour, so the songs are on the short side, which is quite a classic move though, rather than simply repeating a chorus, however good, ad nauseam.