The Rolling Stones have returned with their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, released today, three years after Hackney Diamonds. The album features guest appearances from Bruno Mars, The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sir Paul McCartney, who plays bass on the track Covered in You. The late Charlie Watts drums on Hit Me in the Head, recorded before his death in 2021. Critics have largely praised the energetic performances of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood.
Critical Acclaim Across Publications
The Independent declared that the album "seals this as the summer of vintage comebacks," with the band sounding "astonishingly good, not just for their age, but for a band 60 years younger." Rolling Stone noted the possibility that this could be the last album, but if so, "Foreign Tongues is an album that lives up to their legacy."
Record Collector stated that the album "can stand tall among The Rolling Stones’ most compellingly evocative works." The Telegraph highlighted the "vitality, wit, richness, energy and joy" on offer, making the case that "rock ’n’ roll still rules."
Comparisons to Past Work
The Guardian acknowledged that Foreign Tongues doesn't match the "holy run of albums that began with 1968’s Beggars Banquet, or later triumph Some Girls," but at the band's ages, it's "remarkable – and paired with Hackney Diamonds, this is comfortably their best material in decades."
Uncut observed that while Hackney Diamonds was about return and resurgence, Foreign Tongues offers "something more nuanced," with an "unforced pleasure in playing together."
Enduring Legacy
All Music praised the album as finding the Stones "swinging hard, drawing sweat, and sounding like they still have some business calling themselves the world's greatest rock & roll band." They added, "Could they go on forever? This album is just good enough to make you imagine they could."
NME noted that Foreign Tongues lacks a "true classic Stones joint" like Gimme Shelter or Jumpin’ Jack Flash, but concluded, "There’s plenty more left in the tank." Clash Music called the album "not perfect, but unquestionably a triumph."
Foreign Tongues is out now.
