I got Hillsong United's new album Aftermath the other day and I'm really enjoying it. It's like they've decided to make music that people will want to listen to, as opposed to music giant youth groups will want to sing along to. I didn't really mind their old stuff but it had a pretty limited lifespan and there was often a large amount of soungs which just seemed like filler. This album, however seems to be an album where they put a lot of work into making art. It's like Hillsong gone indie (if something as big as Hillsong can go indie). There's a lot of instrumentals going on and music that meanders along without having to fill every spare spot with catchy choruses and moving bridges.

There are still the songs that giant youth groups can sing, they're just not as prominent.

Anyway, I think it's an album worth getting.

I also think Kanye West's new album is worth getting. In someways it's similar to the Hillsong album. Not really content wise, United doesn't have one song which mentions mothers or what anyone does with mothers in the privacy of their home. But Kanye does feel like he's been pushing himself to make art, not just loud hip-hop with choruses that'll sell. It's an album not just a collection of singles made for iTunes. And in that way United and Kayne seem to have gone on a similar trajectory. I wouldn't be surprised if Kanye was an influence on some of those United guys but you're probably not allowed to list Kanye on the liner notes of your worship album.

So there you go, there's some music for you to go listen to.



I apologise for the daggy graphics in the video.