Posted by Three years later, a blink of the eye compared to yesteryear, and here comes another Rolling Stones album. Following in the footsteps of its 2023 predecessor Hackney Diamonds, Foreign Tongues is again produced by the pop star and old rockers choice Andrew Watt and has a slew of largely pointless guest stars – including Steve Winwood, Robert Smith, Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars and Chad Smith.
Like H.D, Foreign Tongues sounds like an amalgam of their previous eras buffed to a shiny polish. The out and out rockers are littered throughout, the snappy ‘Mr. Charm’ with its bouncy beat and perfectly hummable hooks. ‘Divine Intervention’ has a decent, boogie woogie shuffle and a carefree, the end is nigh so lets have some fun attitude – it even features Robert Smith on guitar, not that you would notice. Charlie Watts makes a final appearance here on ‘Hit Me in the Head’, a rowdy, shotgun blast of noise that hits you right in between the eyes. “My hands are shaking, I’m a nervous wreck’ Jagger barks in ‘Side Effects’, a taut number with a nicely crafted chorus.
Their fondness for funk and pop is accounted for, ‘Jealous Lover’ is a funky pop song done to a sleek, radio friendly finish. Disco rock ala ‘Miss You’ is represented by the tight hooks and falsetto vocals of ‘Never Wanna Lose You’ – featuring Bruno Mars on cowbell, now that’s one for the posters! Country and Americana is brought up by ‘Ringing Hollow’, a refreshing change of pace with a relaxed, honky tonk vibe bemoaning the current state of America. The sorrowful ballad is ‘Back In Your Life’, pleasant enough and replete with some sweet Ronnie Wood guitar work, but something you have heard many times before. They even throw in a cover or two, with the starriest one being their soulful homage to Amy Winehouse – ‘You Know I’m No Good’.
F.T. is a decent LP, filled with hooks and smartly written lyrics. It raises a smile to see the old dogs still at it but it brings nothing new. It sounds like the Rolling Stones by numbers, this is not helped by Andrew Watt’s busy production and the running time breaching the hour mark.
6/10
Lofty Music and Film 