Nicholas “The Feelin’” Mrozinski releases his fourth studio album, Together We’re Stronger, today. The album is a sprawling mix of country, folk, gospel, blues, new age, and even a little electronica. Together the album is soulful and appealing to an older audience, though at times it feels a bit preachy and cheesy.

Together We’re Stronger is an album with a heavy emphasis on message. There are several messages that can be found in the title, the songs, the label, and the creation of the album. The first being the title: Together We’re Stronger. The album hosts 28 musicians from over 40 local bands. Each musician adds to “The Feelin’ Orchestra” in their own unique way from beatboxing to flugelhorn. The orchestra sound is cohesive and diverse, which together is impressive. Together they are strong but also “middle of the road”. There is a broad musical appeal but little risk.

Any unusual peculiarities are solely found in Nick’s distinctive voice, which flutters up and down a very large vocal range. At times it is warm and low and others high and flighty. This gives the songs great depth of soul. But given the unusual timbre of Nick’s voice, it can also polarize listeners. Some will like it and others won’t.

There is a strong gospel feeling to the album not only due to Nick Mrozinski’s soulful voice but also due to the songs’ preachy messages. The songs give advice on how to live life, celebrate family and tradition, talk about being true to yourself, responsibility, love and nature. At times the album gets sappy and other times it is isolating due to the preachy advice-giving lyrical content. This is not a party CD. It is something you would listen to when you want to reflect on life but not while you are celebrating it.

Nicholas “The Feelin’” Mrozinski owns Wake the World, the label the CD is released on. Wake the World is an eco-conscious label. The materials used to create the CD were made from recycled items and FCS certified board, showing that not only did a lot of thought go into the content of the album, but the physical production was responsibly thought out, as well.

The album is a mixed bag for me. I like the eco-friendly CD production. I believe this is the direction music manufacturing will take before it all goes digital. The music is pretty good. It has variety and texture to it. However, the lyrical content makes me not want to play it on a regular basis. I may agree with most of the concepts, but, at the same time, the CD feels like a New Age sermon. All in all, I am interested in where Nick Mrozinski is going. He just hasn’t found it yet.

Rating 6.5/10