SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE ROLLING STONES – FOREIGN TONGUES

THE ROLLING STONES
FOREIGN TONGUES 
UNIVERSAL MUSIC

The Rolling Stones are back. While 2023’s Hackney Diamonds may have given the impression of a fitting conclusion to perhaps one of pop culture’s greatest sagas, and despite questioning if they will ever tour again, The Rolling Stones are in fact back with their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues. The album follows a unique campaign where The Cockroaches, a one-time pseudonym used in the ‘70s on a fateful night in Toronto at The El Mocambo, became active, posting cryptic clues across social media, with flyers popping up in select cities. This led to a brief digital scavenger hunt to a handful of independent record stores across the globe where fans could purchase the lead single, “Rough And Twisted, on vinyl. With Andrew Watt returning as producer, Foreign Tongues sees further collaborations with Paul McCartney, Chad Smith, Steve Winwood, and Robert Smith, along with one final recording alongside the late Charlie Watts.

Foreign Tongues opens with the striking chill of a lone electric guitar supported with a hint of crunch and running through an amp dialed up to 10 with its tubes on the verge of combustion. As a distorted rhythm line comes in with the drums, building up towards Mick Jagger’s grand entrance, “Rough And Twisted” sounds as if it was unearthed from 1972. There is a grit to the song that could only come from The Stones as they indulge in a Delta blues shuffle that makes “Rough And Twisted” the perfect opening track – and one of the strongest songs on the album. Foreign Tongues presses forward with the remaining singles, both offering a different energy from the raw danger flexed on “Rough And Twisted.” With “In The Stars” and “Jealous Lover,” the former is so incredibly nostalgic for the likes of “Start Me Up” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)” that it already feels like staples in the band’s expansive catalogue; while the latter sees Jagger belt a falsetto a la “Emotional Rescue,” demonstrating a produced, more contemporary side to the band.

Across its 14 songs, Foreign Tongues proves to be a versatile record, covering a range of shades that comprise the band’s legacy as songwriters. From the winding, poppy strut of “Mr. Charm,” to the driving riff rock of “Hit Me In The Head,” The Stones hone their sound through modern production and a series of anthemic choruses. While at times, songs like the latter two singles or the polished “Divine Intervention,” while good, feel too refined, The Stones shine brightest, as per usual, when they welcome a darker energy and a slight looseness within the groove. Take the verses of “Covered In You,” the funky breakdown on “Never Wanna Lose You,” or the beautifully outro, led by a guitar solo from Ronnie Wood, on “Back In Your Life,” as an example of this. Perhaps the best showcase of this comes in the shape of a rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” a cover that captures the swagger of the ‘70s as The Stones reinvent an essential song from one of the greatest artists of the last two decades. Furthermore, the balladry on Foreign Tongues, as heard on the dusty, country swing of “Ringing Hollow” and the Keith Richards’ sung “Some Of Us”, is exceptional. There is so much heart within these stripped-down arrangements, giving the record just a little more soul.

Foreign Tongues comes to a close with a roughly recorded, lo-fi cover of Chuck Berry’s “Beautiful Delilah.” With what sounds like just a single room mic, the track feels like a candid, spontaneous moment between Richards and Jagger as they go over a song they’ve likely played a thousand times. In addition to giving the closing song a unique feel – something that is becoming a trademark of producer Andrew Watt collaborating with The Stones – “Beautiful Delilah” serves as a reminder of the power that good songwriting can have. Additionally, it demonstrates the timelessness of the blues, especially when in the right hands. In the case of Richards and Jagger, this remains ever true as one of the greatest songwriting duos proves their worth once more.

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