Seems to me he's playing the line jazz-style, with a lot of syncopation. He is actually holding the overall rhythm down on a measure-by-measure basis, and his note patterns are repetitive, just not in simple ways. He's closer to a walking bass line than a conventional rock bass line...not a 1-2-3-4 walking rhythm, but a moving bass line which carries the music and leaves room for the melody.
This tells me something about how he thinks as a bass player. He's thinking about the music overall and how to complement it, and not concentrating on reinforcing the beat. This music doesn't require that. (I wish I could say that I have achieved this, but that would be lyin'.)
