Updated

Updated · superdeluxeedition.com · Jul 10

Rolling Stones Release 25th Album Foreign Tongues Ahead of Jagger's 83rd Birthday

Updated

Updated · superdeluxeedition.com · Jul 10

Rolling Stones Release 25th Album Foreign Tongues Ahead of Jagger's 83rd Birthday

Q: Does modern production elevate the Stones' new album, or does it erase their signature grit?

Modern production mostly elevates *Foreign Tongues*, but not without occasionally sanding down the Rolling Stones’ natural rough edges. The strongest evidence is in how Andrew Watt frames the band. Reviews describe the album as urgent, punchy and more guitar-centric than *Hackney Diamonds*, with Watt pushing the Stones to record live in one room and capture “magic moments” quickly. That approach helps tracks such as “Rough and Twisted,” “Back in Your Life” and Keith Richards’ “Some of Us” feel vivid, immediate and recognizably Stones-like. Critics also note that the album avoids trend-chasing production tricks and stays rooted in blues, bar-room rock and classic rock’n’roll. At the same time, several reviews say the polish can go too far. Compression, processed backing vocals and occasional “high-tech buffing” are cited as drawbacks, making parts of the record sound slicker and busier than the band’s ideal loose, live feel. Songs like “Side Effects” are singled out as weaker partly because the production leans too hard toward modern gloss. Some critics also hear a few moments that seem aimed at contemporary airplay rather than pure instinct. So the balance tilts in favor of enhancement, not erasure. Watt’s production gives the Stones energy, clarity and force at ages 82 and 83, and most critics agree their core identity survives intact. But the album is at its best when the modern sheen supports the band’s swing and grit, not when it tries to smooth them out.

3 articles · Updated · superdeluxeedition.com · Jul 10

Foreign Tongues arrived Friday as the Rolling Stones’ 25th studio album, a 14-track set released just before Mick Jagger turns 83.
The record follows 2023’s Hackney Diamonds but comes with less to prove, framed instead as a band simply making another album because it still wants to.
Andrew Watt returns as producer, with guests including Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood and Robert Smith, while Charlie Watts appears on one track from a pre-2021 session.
The review says the album delivers several standout songs and strong guitar interplay from Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, though Watt’s polished production and long running time blunt some of its grit.
Jagger is already said to be writing the next record, underscoring the sense that the Stones still see making new music as a continuing part of the band’s life.