Richard,
Good ideas and a nice arrangement.
Yep, the vocal is too up front and rides on top of the mix rather than as part of it.
It would be a good idea to tweak your vocals with a little tuning adjustment - either by retracking or using software.
You sing WAY better than I but you do need some tweaking.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe