The Rolling Stones' latest album, Foreign Tongues, is a testament to the band's enduring legacy and their ability to evolve with time. Despite their advanced age, the Stones have crafted an album that is both a satisfying sequel to their Grammy Award-winning predecessor, Hackney Diamonds, and a modern-sounding record that reflects their disillusionment with the current state of global affairs. The album's political bent, with digs at Elon Musk and Donald Trump, is a refreshing change of pace for the band, and the star-studded special guests, including Paul McCartney, Benmont Tench, and Robert Smith, add a layer of intrigue to the proceedings.
One of the most striking aspects of Foreign Tongues is the band's ability to replicate the model of its predecessor, while also pushing the boundaries of their sound. The album's opening track, Rough And Twisted, is a bluesy, stomping number that establishes the Stones' hallmarks, with Mick Jagger's commanding voice, Keith Richards' guitar latticework, and Ronnie Wood's riffs and runs. The album's rhythm section, featuring Matt Clilfford on keys, Daryl Hall on bass, and Steve Jordan on drums, is a driving force behind the band's sound, with Jordan's skin-whacking providing a net positive on the performances.
The album's star-studded special guests add a layer of intrigue to the proceedings, with Paul McCartney's bassline on Covered In You, Benmont Tench's organ and piano on select tracks, and Robert Smith's synths and backing vocals on Never Wanna Lose You. The album's covers, including a blistering take on Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good and a stripped-down cover of Chuck Berry's Beautiful Delilah, showcase the band's ability to reimagine classic songs in their own unique way.
However, what really sets Foreign Tongues apart is the band's ability to balance their political bent with moments of sensitivity and emotion. The power ballad Back In Your Life, for example, confidently stretches past the six-minute mark with the assistance of sax, horns, and Jagger's instruction of 'C'mon Ronnie' producing a winningly emotive guitar solo. Richards' lead vocal duties on Some Of Us, a song dating back to the 80s, showcase his weathered voice augmenting a devoted plea to a fairweather lover.
In conclusion, Foreign Tongues is an impressive hour-ish of new music that proves age is but a number. The Rolling Stones have long cemented their legacy as rock 'n' roll legends, and their refusal to retire is a testament to their enduring appeal. While maybe not strong enough to wholesale supplant their classics, Foreign Tongues is an album that easily rivals their uneven late 80s output and 1994's Voodoo Lounge, ignoring trend-chasing for reliable Stones-y satisfaction. As Jagger declares with sly vigour amid a joyful bluster late in the album, 'This never gets old!' Amen.
