Yeah I'd give it four out of five myself (pardon the pun).
I really don't mind them not doing a rock sound. They're doing the right thing exploring different avenues. People say they want the same sound but when they get it they end up getting bored and the band becomes stale. Their live shows are unaffected because they have that many bangers to fall back on, its bound to be a good show.
That being said I agree that Alex will return to a more commercial sound soon enough, having had a break from it for a good few years now which obviously will help the creative process too.