New Songs: The Rolling Stones, “Jealous Lover”/”Divine Intervention” From The Upcoming ‘Foreign Tongues’

As if we weren’t excited enough about the upcoming new Stones album – and this one only 3 years after the superb Hackney Diamonds, vs the 18 years between new LPs prior – the band has released a new double-sided single. The new tracks are “Jealous Lover” and Divine Intervention.”

The build up to the July 10th album release has been momentous. First, they did that whole Cockroaches ruse that led to “Rough And Twisted.” That track is a raw blues tune that I can’t get enough of. Then there was the “official” first single, “In The Stars” that the Rock Chick liked even more than I do, and I really like it.

With four tracks already released we’re getting a good glimpse of what this Andrew Watt-produced album is going to be like. I hate it when a band I’ve loved for a long time puts out a new album and I end up comparing it to an older album they did “back in the day,” but here I go… I’m getting real Emotional Rescue vibes from this record (up to this point) and I mean that as the highest compliment.

The first track is “Jealous Lover” and it’s a wonderful slab of slinky, 70s style R&B. My shoulders just start rolling when this song comes on. Mick employs his famous falsetto and at this point, at his age, we have to ask, is he just showing off? I’ve loved Mick’s falsetto since “Fool To Cry” or “Emotional Rescue” but I know many don’t… the Rock Chick is not a fan of falsetto in general and if Mick can’t cure that, who can?

This track just takes me back to Black And Blue (1976). It just gives me the same groovy vibe. There’s something about that moment when Mick is singing in a falsetto and drops down to a normal register that grabs me. It adds a certain… drama. Keith and Ronnie’s guitar swirl around the vocal. It’s fabulous. There’s a video for this track as well with Anya Taylor-Joy, and what a joy she is.

The second track, “Divine Intervention,” which I suppose we’d describe here as the B-side (and you know we love B-sides here) is maybe my favorite song from the album of those they’ve released so far. It’s a good time, ol’ fashion Stones rock n roll song. It gallops along. It’s as though someone said to Keith and Ronnie, “Release the hounds.”

The Stones can really do anything – blues, reggae, soul, ballads, country (and they’ve already done most of that on these singles) – but I just love it when these guys rock and “Divine Intervention” scratches that itch for me. For these guys to be doing this as long as they have and still come up with something this fresh and fun, it’s a goddamn miracle.

Here are samples of the tracks:

We still have two weeks – an eternity – until Foreign Tongues drops. I have to say after hearing McCartney’s Boys Of Dungeon Lane and the four tracks from the Stones, that Andrew Watt is doing some fantastic work. He’s pulling late career gems out of these legends.

I don’t know about you folks out there, but I’ll certainly be cranking these tracks up all weekend long. Warn the neighbors it’s gonna be that kind of weekend. “Divine intervention is out of the question, I go to dance in the flames, yeah…”

Cheers!