After four years out of the public eye, Collective Soul singer Ed Roland has a message for the world. "Let the word out/I gotta get it out. Whoa, I'm feeling better now," he declares in "Better Now," the energetic rocker that launches Youth, the Georgia rockers' first studio album since 2000's Blender.

Following a tumultuous four years, Ed says, "There were a lot of things that just kind of slapped us upside the head and told us it was time to take a break" – the band is indeed back, reenergized, thanks in part to co-producer Dexter Green and new guitarist Joel Kosche, and, in the words of both Roland brothers, "Starting over."

Which makes Youth a very fitting title for the new album. "Youth to me is a mindset, not a number," Ed says. "We've been doing this for ten years and we 've never felt more Youthful and more ready to be in the position that we're in." "Even the music represents that starting over to some degree. We switched gears and went to more of our roots on the music level and production level," Dean adds. "It does feel like a 10-year cycle, we were just starting out, playing similar venues and seeing people that we're seeing today. Yeah, it definitely feels like we are starting over on many levels, but starting over with a big head start."

If Collective Soul seems to have recaptured the hunger and determination of an indie band just starting out, rather than an act that had 19 different singles reach the Billboard charts during a seven-year span, it's because they are an indie band again for the first time since 1993's Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid (later re-released on Atlantic as Rising Storm). And Collective Soul is taking the "Do It Yourself Philosophy" to its limits, releasing Youth on its own El Music Group imprint. "This is not just an independent label; we're doing it from the ground up. We're assembling our own team and are going to tour our asses off," Dean says. "We've got a great team surrounding us," Ed adds. "So it's like truly building your own house with the material that you so choose." As for the major difference in running your own label," Ed says, "Our ideas are listened to for a change, which doesn't mean they're acted upon, but they're listened to."

After a seven-year run that that was highlighted by such rock radio smashes as the catchy as hell "Gel," one of seven songs during that interval to go to No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Tracks charts, the omnipresent upbeat number "Shine," the soaring ballad "The World I Know," "Blame," "December," "Precious Declaration," another rock radio chart-topper, and the list goes on and on, Collective Soul has learned a few things about writing memorable hooks. All of that experience went into the striking 11 songs on Youth, an album Ed describes as "a mixture of Dosage and the first CD, really poppy tunes and fun production."

Among the standout selections is the infectious Collective Soul Chorus of "Home," the heartfelt and hooky ballad "How Do You Love"; the atmospheric, rich mid-tempo rocker "Perfect To Stay," and the anthem-esque "Under Heaven' s Skies," which explodes from its genial verses into a ferociously raucous chorus.

"I want people to feel the good energy, the good place that we are in. I think that a lot of these songs represent that," Dean says.

Collective Soul has gone through enough turmoil during their absence to fuel a Behind the Music miniseries. "I was going through a divorce, Ed got a divorce," Dean says, But as the old adage goes, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger." And Dean believes that to be true for the band. "When you recognize your vulnerabilities and weaknesses you become stronger and that's when your character is defined. I think that's where we are as a band."

For Ed strength was found in his now six-year-old son, who, to Ed's pleasure, took up plenty of his time during the absence. "That was the ultimate time spent, learning to be a dad and him learning to be a son," he says laughing. Yes, the band that started out in their early 20's has gotten older. "Will and Donna had a child and they had another one during the break, so everyone just became very domesticated in a sense during the break," Ed admits.

It doesn't mean though that they've forgotten how to rock or what it's like to be on the road playing for tens of thousands of screaming fans. The fans have made sure of that. "To be gone as long as we have and to be accepted..." Dean says, a sense of awe in his voice. "The record hasn't even come out yet, but the shows that we've played and the reception we've received for some of the new tracks, it's pretty amazing.

During recent shows the band has been playing, they've thrown in a few of the new songs, including "Counting The Days," the album's lead single, and "Under Heaven's Skies," with tremendous success. "'Counting The Days' goes over great," Ed says. "It represents Collective Soul; it rocks!" Among the songs the brothers are most looking forward to playing before an audience are "How Do You Love," "Better Now," and "Home." "'How Do You Love' will be a lot of fun," Dean says. Ed adds, "'How Do You Love" is one I'm especially looking forward to cause it will be challenging."

Though the band sounds stripped down in places on the record, they were equally ambitious in creating a record that Ed describes as "Collective Soul for 2005." He credits co-producer Dexter Green, who also co-wrote the first three tracks, with reinvigorating the band and giving the record that extra kick. "We just started hitting it off and I think his Youth, his excitement, got me excited," Ed recalls of their initial meeting.

"When we had an outside guy like Dex come in, who loves music, who's excited about music, it just opened up our eyes." Ed says of Dex,

Ed credits that attitude and vibe with helping unleash the band's creativity. "He took a lot of the pressure off me," Ed says. "Nothing was forced during this recording and I think that's what we were doing the previous times we were going in the studio. This time we just kind of let it happen with Dex in there to help us."

New guitarist Kosche was a perfect fit for the same reasons Ed says. "His attitude was more laidback than anybody in the band," he says. But Kosche brought more than just a kickback feeling. "There was a different vibe on the guitar and he brought finger picking into it on the last song,

‘Satellite.' I would've never been able to play like that or anybody in the band and Joel brought that element into it," Ed says.

Add all those elements together and you have Collective Soul, the 2005 version. Maybe the only people more excited than the fans about the return of the band is the band themselves. "I'd forgotten what an important part of my life it was for seven years," Ed says of music. "At the beginning I had forgotten how exciting it is and how much I needed it just for my sense of life. This is the most exciting one yet."

It's a sentiment that's echoed by his brother, Dean. "I feel like the stars are aligning and everything's coming together for us."