At just over an hour, and featuring 14 songs, Foreign Tongues is on the longer side. Perhaps crafting a tighter album would have been preferable, but there are no genuinely poor songs here - and repeated listens only improve my opinion of most of them. Whilst there are some poppier moments to come, the album actually gets underway in a pretty bluesy nature with Rough and Twisted. The juddering opening riff, with bluesy turnarounds, immediately harks back to the 1960s - and Watt's production is deliberately raw and old-school. Jordan's drumming, at least early on, sounds like it was recorded next door, whilst the mix of the stuttering guitar riffing, dirty slide accents, and parping harmonica is packed full of bluesy goodness. Jagger sounds as good as ever, his scratchy vocals strong and perfectly suited to this spiky bit of blues. The song does expand somewhat as it moves along, with Clifford adding organ and barroom piano melodies - with Jordan's drumming becoming deliberately more present and powerful. Jagger's lengthy harmonica solo is pure blues, and the track is a great reminder of the band's early days and core influences. In the Stars transitions into more of a poppy hard rock sound, with a tinkling piano intro - before a tough, yet simple, guitar riff takes over. This riff, and variants of it, form the basis of the verses - with Jagger singing against a booming drum groove before the riff accents him. There is something pleasingly strutting about the verses here, with Jagger sounding great and Jordan's drumming, slightly behind the beat, the standout characteristics. The piano intro is later repurposed as a chorus, with wordless backing vocal harmonies creating a poppy hook - with Jagger accenting them this time. There is more of a smoothness to the chorus, but it works well thanks to the mix of pop hooks and the retained groove - whilst a brief guitar solo also nicely cuts through the mix. Jealous Lover moves forward with a much poppier sound, with most of the harder rock edge that has characterised the album up to this point stripped away. Despite the pop sound, though, there are strong links back to the 1970s here - and there is actually something of a yacht rock feel throughout. Jagger sings in a higher register than is usual, whilst the rhythm section add a subtle, shuffling groove. Layers of higher pitched backing vocals and some electric piano playing from Steve Winwood (The Spencer Davis Group; Traffic; Blind Faith; Go) only add to that yacht rock feel. The grooves are light-hearted, the pop hooks are whimsical, and I like the different approach taken here - adding an overtly American 1970s pop sound to the band's core British blues approach. Mr. Charm returns to something much more typical of The Rolling Stones' core sound, though, with scratchy guitar riffing kicking things off - forming around a snappy, hooky, pop rocker. The verses feel a little underdeveloped, with Jagger largely delivering a semi-spoken vocal against some bluesy guitars - but once the pre-chorus and chorus kicks in the song develops further, sounding much stronger. The pre-chorus is snappy and lodges in the brain, whilst the soaring, soulful backing vocals of the chorus proper recall Rolling Stones classics of the past. I still really like the song despite the less interesting verses, as the chorus is one that really sticks in the brain thanks to Jagger's bravado and the drive of the rhythm section. Divine Intervention picks up the pace, delivering a surprisingly cinematic pop rock sound - despite a bluesy hard rock drive. There is little standing on ceremony here, with a boogie, shuffling guitar riff sitting nicely against a up-tempo drum pattern. Jagger does not let rip here much as he sometimes can, instead opting for a more melodic vocal approach. There are certainly strong pop vibes here - with less of the scratchy blues of the band's core sound, and more of an overt smoothness. Jagger can still deliver that kind of vocal, though, and the chorus overall feels much more layered than is usually the case - with melodic clean guitar melodies, various different keyboard textures, and poppy backing vocals. Robert Smith (The Cure; Siouxsie and the Banshees; The Glove) adds some additional guitars throughout, which is perhaps where some of those poppy, cinematic parts come from, whilst a horn section is used in a subtle manner as the song progresses.
Ringing Hollow returns to something much bluesier, but the pace is slowed down - and the song is something of a ballad. As such, it is the first slower moment here, and the band stretch out somewhat - as it is one of the few songs here to breach the five minute mark. The Rolling Stones have often strayed into country blues vibes over the years, and this is another such example of that sound. The guitar playing of Richards and Wood is varied, moving back and forth between bursts of slide and a layered, bluesy approach - whilst Jagger really allows the rougher end of his voice to shine. The twang of the guitars, the walking nature of Jones' bass playing, and Winwood's plentiful organ washes really make this song tick - and long-time Rolling Stones fans will certainly appreciate this slab of laid back country rock. Never Wanna Lose You picks the pace back up again somewhat, with a mid-paced bluesy rock groove settling in from the off - over which the song builds. Winwood is back with his electric piano, which does return to something of that yacht rock sound from earlier - but overall this song is more straight up pop rock with a bluesy edge added by the early guitar riffing. In some ways, this song is a great mix of old and new. The riffing and guitar approach generally feels old-school, but there is much more of a synth presence - with Smith back to add some electronics alongside Watt. The chorus is a bit of a contrast to the verses, and they could almost come from different songs, but I think they do actually sit together surprisingly well. The electric piano and guitar drive of the verses contrast nicely with the synths and big pop hooks of the chorus - with the song being a lot of fun. Strangely, though, Clifford co-wrote the song - but is not one of the three credited with any form of keyboard playing here. Hit Me in the Head is immediately rawer. It is the sole song here to feature Watts' drumming, and the song is a sub-three minute, snarling rocker - which befits the classic Rolling Stones sound. Thrashy guitar riffing, Watts' snappy drumming, and a lack of any real production techniques gives this song a pleasingly old-school feel - whilst Jagger adds some more bluesy harmonica bursts at opportune moments. There are songs here that feel more impressive from a compositional and arrangement perspective, but Hit Me in the Head showcases the raw energy that the band still possess - whilst also making more use of those final recording sessions that took place with Watts before his death. You Know I'm No Good is a cover of the Amy Winehouse song from her seminal 2006 release Back to Black. I would not have expected The Rolling Stones to cover a Winehouse song, and I am not really familiar with the original as I do not know much about Winehouse in general, but the soulful, shuffling groove of this version of the song at least really suits the band. Mournful harmonica is utilised early on, and resurfaces again throughout, whilst a much bigger overall production returns after everything was stripped away from the previous number. Various keyboard textures fill the song out, but everything is organic - with organ and piano present in the mix. The main difference, though, is the horn section. Horns have been used on the album up to this point, but the horn section feels at its most prominent here - with rhythmic saxophone bursts really adding to the drive of the rhythm section, alongside some excellent bass playing from Jones. Scratchy guitar soloing and harmonica melodies add interest - and the bigger overall sound here is certainly welcome.
Some of Us is another somewhat slower song, with that country rock sound from earlier returning in part - alongside a more mournful approach. Richards takes the lead vocally this time, too. His voice is certainly less interesting than Jagger's, but his simple delivery works well given the song's mournful approach - whilst Jagger's big backing vocals during the chorus help the song to pop a little more. Winwood adds subtle piano, which feeds into the downbeat country vibe, whilst long-time Tom Petty sideman Benmont Tench this time plays the organ - with the latter's playing a huge part of the song's overall feel. There are better songs here, but I like the overall approach - as the album needs a few slower numbers in my opinion. Covered in You features Paul McCartney (The Beatles; Wings) on bass, appearing again here following his appearance on the previous album. After the previous slower number, this track feels more energetic - although the mid-paced tune is not as hard-hitting as some of the others here. There is a nice groove thanks to the rhythm section and some snappy riffing, but this is another piece that mixes a poppier approach with the band's core sound. The chorus has something of a shimmering pop sound, with co-writer Clifford's piano melodies doing a lot of work - alongside more of a synth-based sound than is typical. The chorus is hooky, though, and the overall sound here is pretty pleasing. Side Effects is similar, but there is a bit more punch overall. The snap of the rhythm section really keeps this song moving, whilst loose guitar riffing and more piano playing from Winwood allow for some finger-snapping grooves. Acoustic guitar and synths do fill out the song, but overall there is a bit more of an organic sound, aside from some chorus moments, but it is Jagger that is the star here - with some of the hookiest vocal melodies on the album for me. As such, this is one of the songs that stood out to me on first listen. Others have since overtaken it, but Side Effects remains a favourite thanks to its easy-on-the-ear melodies and pleasing groove. Back in Your Life is the longest song here at just over six minutes, and the track opens slowly with laid back guitar strumming and some mournful Jagger vocals. This is another somewhat slower number overall, with more country strains thanks to plentiful acoustic guitar layers, subtle guitar leads, and a slow-moving beat. There is an emotive side to Jagger's vocals, though, whilst mournful piano adds to that overall feeling. Despite the longer runtime, the song does not exactly experiment too much - it just allows the band to stretch out a little. There are some longer guitar solo spots, whilst the slower overall pace just naturally takes up more time. The lengthy closing guitar solo is excellent, whilst the horn section form before is subtly repurposed here as the song moves on. As was the case with the last album, too, this album comes to an end with a raw blues cover - with Chuck Berry's Beautiful Delilah closing things out. Distant guitars, slide melodies, and ragged Jagger vocals are all produced to sound old - whilst Chad Smith (Red Hot Chilli Peppers; Chickenfoot) adds some percussion. There is nothing much to say about the song - but the raw ending suits The Rolling Stones' overall approach. Whilst I still prefer Hackney Diamonds, Foreign Tongues feels more like a grower - and there is perhaps a bit more variety here than on the previous album. It is just great to hear the band sounding so vital so long after they formed - and no-one in their 80s has any right to be making music this good. I will not make the same mistake again and assume that this will be the end of The Rolling Stones - as there seems to be plenty of life left in the band, and I hope there is more to come before the sad day comes when The Rolling Stones are no more.
The album was released on 10th July 2026 via Polydor Records. Below is the band's promotional video for In the Stars.
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