It has become something of a cliché to proclaim that “rock and roll will never die,” but the Rolling Stones — a band formed when my grandfather was a sprightly youth — seem intent on keeping it alive until I am a grandfather myself. It is 2026, and we have a brand-new Rolling Stones record: their 25th studio album in 64 years together, and their first since 2023’s “Hackney Diamonds.” Whether jolted by the passing of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 or simply less inclined to believe that “Time Is on My Side,” the 82-year-old Mick Jagger has summoned the troops, written some songs, and, together with producer Andrew Watt, created a remarkable late-late-era record. Which brings us to “Foreign Tongues.” I will spare you the trite sophistry of declaring it “the best Rolling Stones record since” — insert some arbitrary benchmark such as “Some Girls” or “Tattoo You.” Mick Jagger is not granting me an interview anytime soon, and I doubt he believes such plaudits himself. But “Foreign Tongues” is a great, energetic, and joyous record on its own terms, and an even better one than “Hackney Diamonds.” The opening track, “Rough and Twisted,” begins with a gritty and bellicose blues in E, chugging on an E7 chord while threading playful licks through the arrangement. Jagger’s howling vocals arrive with the force and ferocity of a far, far younger upstart eager to make his mark. He also plays harmonica throughout the record — perhaps his most underappreciated virtuosity — and it acts as an extension of his voice, lending the arrangement a soulful, rhythmic pulse. The Rolling Stones have long maintained a playful tension between the modern and the traditional. Jagger’s appetite for momentum and new sounds has driven the band forward, while the purist instincts of Keith Richards and the late, jazz-trained drummer Charlie Watts kept it firmly rooted in the blues. My favorite Stones record has always been “Exile on Main St.” for its maximalist arrangements, replete with gospel singers, brass instruments, and piano frills. Many of my favorite Stones recordings feature Nicky Hopkins on piano; on “Foreign Tongues,” that role is served by Steve Winwood, who plays both organ and piano throughout. If I could offer one criticism of Watt’s production, it would be to turn up the piano tracks. On recordings such as “Let It Loose” or “Loving Cup,” each instrument occupies a distinct place in the mix; here, Winwood’s piano is too often buried beneath it. The tension between old and new is especially apparent on “In the Stars.” Its opening bars evoke a polished pop aesthetic, driven by piano chords and high-production vocables. Soon afterward, Steve Jordan’s drums go into full throttle and Richards begins strumming his signature open chords, which ring out like the exhaust note of a V-12 sports car. The Stones sound as energetic and lively as they did on “Tattoo You.” Fans of the band’s later catalogue will also recognize a verse structure resembling “Doom and Gloom.” The Stones have been around for so long that much of popular music’s evolution can be traced through their catalogue, from American blues and country rock to disco and beyond. “Jealous Lover” sounds like an outtake from “Some Girls” and features some of Jagger’s finest falsetto vocals since “Emotional Rescue.” I promised to spare you the “finest since” plaudits, but Jagger’s extraordinary performance cannot be overstated. Similarly, on “Mr. Charm,” Jagger sings in a rapid-fire, rap-pastiche cadence, delivering biting lyrics over a track that harkens back to “Shattered” while remaining unmistakably modern. Watt’s production pulls the vocals to the forefront and sharpens the instrumental tracks. Amid its wry jabs at tech billionaires, Jagger lauds Elon Musk for saving the astronauts, singing: “Who would you really trust? / Is it Boeing, is it NASA / Is it mad mogul Mr. Musk?” For “Ringing Hollow,” Jagger revives his country drawl for a Gram Parsons-inspired ballad redolent of the twee “Far Away Eyes.” There is a great deal on this album that leads back to “Some Girls.” Reluctant to traffic in specific political references, Jagger instead paints a broader malaise across the political spectrum. “Lady Liberty don’t look so good / When there’s a tear in her gown,” he sings, before turning to the fentanyl crisis — with some irony for a Rolling Stone who has encountered more drugs than the average pharmacy — with the lines “So pass ’round the fenty / Pass ’round the coke.” Yet his profound love for America and its virtues remains resolute and palpable: “I drove through the suburbs / And I lounged in the malls / Let the dreamers get the dream they want.” It is because Jagger loves America and believes in its greatness that he pines for it. Alongside this stellar track list, we have been treated to a generous press tour featuring a more open and candid Jagger than we have encountered before. For possibly the most famous man on the planet over the past five decades, he has remained something of an enigma in the public eye. Decidedly too old now for such artifice, he has given longtime Stones fans a treat in his recent interviews. In one segment, he concedes his reluctance to opine on politics. “My job in the live music world is just those people that come have the best time they possibly can … to forget all their problems and the problems of the world and their mortgages and their whatever.” Contrast this with Bruce Springsteen, whose recent $300-plus concerts have been dedicated to tirades about immigration enforcement and whatever nonsense “No Kings” entails. The Rolling Stones have always been a band of dualities: Mick and Keith, classic and modern, up-tempo rock and roll balanced by tender ballads. Think of “Start Me Up” and “Waiting on a Friend,” among countless other examples. On “Foreign Tongues,” that tender side arrives with “Back in Your Life,” the longest song on the record. Its melody and atmosphere evoke the Beatles’ wistful “In My Life,” inviting us to reminisce. It features a beautiful guitar solo from Ronnie Wood, which the guitarist explained he recorded in a single take after learning of Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson’s death, hoping to convey a tribute to the American genius. And what an inspired tribute it is. It is fitting that the record ends with “Beautiful Delilah,” a Chuck Berry cover. The Stones’ lo-fi interpretation reaches back to the country-blues textures of their “Beggars Banquet” days, awash in Richards’s acoustic strumming and slide guitar from Wood, painting a melancholy vignette of desolate, arid plains. Jagger has already confirmed that he is working on another album, with a possible tour planned for 2027. Whatever fire has ignited in the venerable frontman, we can only hope it burns for as long as it can. Formed in the tradition and image of American blues and R&B, the Rolling Stones adopted that uniquely American export and spent the ensuing decades infusing it with new styles and sounds. That they continue doing so on “Foreign Tongues,” more than six decades later, is remarkable. The record is a mosaic of their past that still points unmistakably forward. To borrow a title, “Time Waits for No One,” but we should all be grateful it continues waiting for the Rolling Stones. *** Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner. He is a software engineer, holds a master’s degree from the University of Toronto, and writes about wine at BetweenBottles.com. This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.