That the Rolling Stones are still above ground is a blessing. That they are still making good music is a minor miracle. On “Foreign Tongues,” their 27th studio album, the band is in top form as they traipse through their well-worn but still intriguing modes: blues rock, slippery funk, twangy country and pure pop.
Much has been made about the guests on the record (such as Paul McCartney, playing with the Stones for the first time, and Robert Smith of The Cure), but their inclusion seems more about marketing. This record is all about Mick, Keith and Ronnie and that Stones swagger that only they can conjure; some of that magic died when Charlie Watts passed five years ago, but Steve Jordan, a longtime associate now on his second Stones studio record, is the right man for the job.
Jagger, as a lyricist and vocalist, is the star of “Foreign Tongues,” riffing about lovers and drugs and current events and just being Mick: drawling, cajoling and sneering. Is his Jagger impression now even better than Jimmy Fallon’s?
“In The Stars” starts off as a close cousin to “You Got Me Rockin'” from the “Voodoo Lounge” album before melting into a triumphant chorus. Jagger seems to take a jab at the US Supreme Court, singing, “All the judges in their robes got their rubber stamps.”
“Jealous Lover” is a soul ballad, with Jagger singing in borderline comic falsetto, but he can still hit the high notes. “Hands off, jealous lover, please let me be, you pray like a mantis, you’re emerald green,” he sings on the chorus, back in his usual high baritone.
“Mr. Charm” is sung from the perspective of a bon vivant celebrity, at least in his own mind: “I know we’ve never met, but you seem to know my name/ Did you hear bad things about me? That would be a crying shame.” The chorus is a revelation musically and lyrically, with our hero throwing off the shackles of commercialism — easy for him to do as a rich man: “Life’s too short for just making money/ Show me how to spend it, honey.”
The woozy and boozy “Ringing Hollow” could hold its own on “Exile on Main Street.” Jagger’s elongated vowels — a Brit’s take on an American southern drawl — paired with slide guitar and barroom piano illuminate the story of a United States down its luck. The Liberty Bell has another crack, the Statue of Liberty is “wearing a scowl.” What to do? “Pass around the fenty/ Pass around the coke.” Dark times indeed.
“Never Wanna Lose You” is a greasy rocker with a funk bassline reminiscent of “Miss You” with a disco beat to match.
Keith Richards sings lead on just one song, the tender ballad “Some Of Us,” where he sounds a lot like Mark Knopfler. It’s fun to hear Jagger in a rare backup vocalist role, before he and Richards trade lead lines.
“Covered In You” is unusual in that the tight funk rock of the verses loosens in the choruses but the minor key doesn’t resolve. Uncertainty reigns: “Feeling a bit unglued,” sings Jagger. It’s a wonderfully composed and arranged song that is easy to listen to but was probably a bitch to write.
The Stones end “Foreign Tongues” with an acoustic blues version of Chuck Berry’s “Beautiful Delilah.” It’s an homage not only to an artist who helped pave the way for their style of rock ‘n’ roll but also a nod to their own early days, as the group tested the song in rehearsals, as heard on a bootleg recording from Woodstock in 1978.
That the Stones have released an album of new material so soon after 2023’s well-received “Hackney Diamonds” should not lead one to think “Foreign Tongues” was a rush job. It’s a beautiful album; the only flaw might be that it’s too on the nose, too Rolling Stones. But what else should the band be doing 64 years after it started? The album doesn’t break new ground, but when is the last time their peers — Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney — have? Enjoy it for what it is: an hour of cocksure rock from a crew of elderly men who are still the best at what they do.
Rating: 79/81
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