I haven’t been shy here about using Hillsong United as a synonym for the lack of creativity in worship music. For me, they’ve embodied much of what is wrong with modern worship: shallow theology, a confusion over whether they want to be worship leaders or brooding rock stars, and a musical style that hasn’t moved past “Coldplay at their most epic” in years.

Because of that, allow me to take a deep breath before delivering my verdict: Aftermath is actually pretty good. The core Hillsong United sound is still here (bigger-is-better anthemic Brit-rock) but it’s been subtly tweaked. The result is that the band sounds far more mature, drawing influence from electro-rock bands such as Mute Math as well as the more usual suspects. The Brooke Fraser-led “Bones” features a subtle use of drum machines and retro synth, while “Light Will Shine” reminds me a lot (maybe too much) of Muse. “Aftermath” is still packed with stadium rock aimed at the heart more than the head, but it’s good that Hillsong United show a willingness to at least sample new directions.

Three and a half stars out of five