Reviews for The Rolling Stones’ latest album “Hackney Diamonds” have arrived, and many give high compliments to the first album of new songs from the rock band in 18 years.
Rolling Stone subtly calls it a record “you’ll want to play more than once.”
“Whether it’s a first-time Stones producer (Andrew Watt), bits of technological wizardry or simply a desire to remind us why we cared about them in the first place, they haven’t sounded this brisk and focused [or “on top of their game” if you read the subhead] in what feels like a half century,” David Browne writes.
“It’s a solid, satisfying victory lap in what could well be the last studio album of their storied career,” the New York Post’s Chuck Arnold notes.
The AP highlights the dueling duet between Mick Jagger and Lady Gaga on the penultimate track of the album, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” Stevie Wonder also plays keys on the track, noted by “Play me something, Stevie.”
“Hackney Diamonds” will be released in stores on digital platforms Friday (Oct. 20).
“On the track ‘Whole Wide World,’ when Jagger sings, ‘And you think the party is over,’ it feels like the whole album is one big answer: Um, nope!” Jocelyn Noveck writes for The AP.
Variety’s Jem Aswad calls the album “their liveliest work in 40 years.”
“’Hackney Diamonds’ is not their best work since ‘Some Girls,’ released some 45 years ago — but it is their best since ‘Tattoo You,’ which is just three years younger,” Aswad says. “That the Stones have reached such a peak while grappling with what an octogenarian rock band should sound like — one that recently lost their drummer of nearly 60 years, no less — is perhaps the most impressive feat of all.”
After the death of drummer Charlie Watts, the remaining Stones worked with Watt to record the new album quickly with Steve Jordan, who was supposed to be a temporary fill-in. Jordan was handed-picked by Watts. A posthumous effort by Watts is featured in two of the “Hackney Diamonds” songs “as a kind of historical anchor,” as the Los Angeles Times’ review put it.
“The songs blend the same ingredients the Stones have been using since the beginning — blues, rock, soul, country, gospel — but they’re tighter and punchier than on any of the band’s previous late-era LPs. Catchier too,” the Times’ Mikael Wood writes.
Wood also noted the album “wants to matter today without betraying yesterday.” In similar fashion, Sydney Sweeney starred in the music video for the album’s first single “Angry,” released Sept. 6. Sweeney also attended a screening of the music video in London after a livestream conversation with the three remaining band members was hosted by Jimmy Fallon.
The Guardian measured its praise, taking digs at the album’s title and cover art before breaking down the true value of “Hackney Diamonds.”
“A latter-day Rolling Stones album that requires no special pleading,” The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis writes. “A sense of finality is added by the closing track, a raw, acoustic version of the song which gave the band their name, Muddy Waters’ ‘Rolling Stone Blues,’ complete with the kind of shiver-inducing harmonica with which Jagger punctuated “Blue & Lonesome” and Richards playing a 1930s Gibson guitar similar to that used by the most legendary bluesman of the lot, Robert Johnson. It’s fantastic.”
