The Rolling Stones - Foreign Tongues

Three years after Hackney Diamonds proved the old dogs still had plenty of bite, the Stones are back with their 25th studio album – and they're not phoning it in . Recorded in under a month at London's Metropolis Studios with producer Andrew Watt, Foreign Tongues finds Mick, Keith, and Ronnie locked in, playing with an urgency that bands half their age would envy .

The guest list is, once again, ridiculous. Paul McCartney pops up on fuzzy bass. Robert Smith of The Cure adds his unmistakable jangle. Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers lends his drumming. And Steve Winwood – who initially thought he'd be on just one track – ended up all over the record, his piano and organ work evoking the spirit of Nicky Hopkins, the Stones' classic-era keyboardist . "Nicky Hopkins and I were on a similar journey," Winwood told Uncut. "I think the Stones knew that" .

The 14 tracks play like a sampler of everything the Stones do best: scuzzy blues stompers, country weepers, and politically charged rockers where Jagger takes aim at "autocrats," "mad mogul Mr. Musk," and "billionaires all scuttling to their bolt holes in the sky" . There's even a cover of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good," with Jagger's harmonica front and center .

The emotional anchor? The late Charlie Watts, whose drums from one of his final sessions appear on "Hit Me in the Head" . And Keith Richards, delivering the vulnerable lead vocal on "Some of Us" – a reminder that these guys are still capable of genuine tenderness .

Here at THE ROAD – If it rocks, it's here, we've been spinning this one nonstop. "Rough and Twisted," "In the Stars," and "Jealous Lover" earned spots on our daily playlist, and we gave all three some serious airtime on ALL FOR ONE 508, Classic Hits, Deep Cuts & More. Because that's what this is – deep cuts that feel like instant classics.

The album drops in just two days.