Three years after proving they still had plenty of gasoline left in the tank and a fire in the belly with the Grammy-winning Hackney Diamonds, the Stones return with Foreign Tongues, a 14-song blast of swagger that refuses to act like they’re near any kind of end. Instead, it sounds like a band who may have already done it all but stills enjoys trying to surprise itself.

Recorded in less than a month at London's Metropolis Studios, Foreign Tongues reunites Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood with producer Andrew Watt, whose work on Hackney Diamonds helped spark one of the band's most celebrated late-career moments. That same urgency courses through the new record, which captures the looseness that’s always been a Stones trademark.

The story began with a wink to the Stones' legendary sense of theater. The song "Rough And Twisted" quietly surfaced as a limited white-label vinyl release credited to the fictional band the Cockroaches, The pseudonym the band have used when performing unannounced in small venues or releasing surprise music. It sent collectors and longtime fans scrambling to connect the dots before the album announcement. Lead single "In The Stars" picked up the thread with infectious energy and a hook that suggests the band can easily come up with arena-sized anthems in their sleep.

The supporting cast is every bit as formidable as the core lineup. Longtime collaboraters Darryl Jones, Steve Jordan, and Matt Clifford return, while guest appearances from Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, and Chad Smith add nice detours without distracting from the Stones' unshakeable chemistry. 

The album also carries special emotional weight through a posthumous appearance by Charlie Watts. His performance on "Hit Me in the Head," recorded during one of his final studio sessions before his death in 2021, is a poignant reminder of the heartbeat that defined the band's greatest recordings.

Mick Jagger has described the sessions as an intense burst of creativity, praising the intimate atmosphere at Metropolis Studios for capturing the passion of the performances. Keith Richards echoed that sentiment, calling the month-long recording process "concentrated punch," while Ronnie Wood recalled a band firing on all cylinders, often capturing definitive takes almost immediately. Even the album's presentation embraces artistic ambition. Its striking cover, painted by acclaimed American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn, reflects the same balance of classic identity and contemporary vision found throughout the music.