This post was updated Oct. 22 at 7:48 p.m. 

The Rolling Stones have managed to keep stoking the fire after 61 years.

“Hackney Diamonds” is the first new album produced by the Rolling Stones in nearly eight years. And while the band is approaching its twilight years, a certain degree of power and cohesiveness in the album calls listeners back to the golden years of the group. It would be difficult for a band that existed for over half a century and toured constantly to churn out fresh and inspired material, but the Rolling Stones continue sounding delighted and honored to make records. The band has maintained its sound and lead guitarist Keith Richards has yet to adjust his iconic guitar tone, all while being able to expand its repertoire with the sort of experimentation that established its legendary status. Traversing several different rock genres and eras, the Rolling Stones have done it once again on “Hackney Diamonds.”

The Stones opened the record with their hard-hitting lead single, “Angry,” which set a powerful standard for 80-year-old Mick Jagger’s vocal performance on the album. Acting as a smitten and conflicted lover, Jagger adds a characteristic flair to the end of the repeated “Don’t get angry with me / I never caused you no pain.” This track felt like a modern twist on the band’s simplistic song structure with all the anger and ferocity of its later records.

Maintaining the album’s intensity, “Get Close” borders on gospel with soul-infused rock that incorporates bongos and saxophones alongside Jagger’s pleasurably whiny plea, “I wanna get close to you / I wanna get lost in you.” Unfortunately, the distorted genre lines make the song difficult to interpret, as Jagger could feasibly be calling to a higher power or companion, and the power with which he makes that call drowns out the backing vocals. A call and response saxophone-guitar duo helps to redeem the tune and make for a catchy listen.

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The sudden punk shift on “Bite My Head Off” gives listeners a bad case of whiplash. A bassline from former Beatle Paul McCartney was not enough to redeem the industry-standard track, which offers the first glimpse of the Rolling Stones’ age. On the most reflective song on the album, “Whole Wide World,” Jagger describes fame and its consequences. Yet, the lyrics, “When the whole world’s out to get you / And you’re standing in the rain,” fall a little flat for the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band.”

“Dreamy Skies” is a shining moment on the record as Jagger dons his southern drawl for a track that could’ve been on the Stones’ 1971 rock album, “Sticky Fingers.” Jagger talks of a desired isolation, imparting a ballad on individuals who want nothing more than to “take a break from it all.” A Bob Dylan-esque harmonica part ultimately makes a warm breeze out of the track, and a stellar acoustic backing compliments Jagger’s desperate, secluded tone.

The next track, “Mess It Up,” was taken too literally by the band. The boring and heavily autotuned voice of Jagger fails to capture the modernity it was clearly pursuing. Admittedly, the production was crisp and contained, but the track failed to differentiate itself with a boring riff and uneventful peaks. Luckily, Elton John got a chance to shine in “Live By The Sword,” with an electric piano performance that complimented Jagger’s aggressive vocals perfectly. Jagger introduces a gorgeous guitar riff by Richards paired with intense piano key smashing by John.

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Approaching the end of the album, Jagger delivers a climactic stadium tour anthem with “Driving Me Too Hard.” Richards creates sparkling finishes with his guitar after every lyric that adds a signature Rolling Stones detail to the track, making apparent the band’s long and arduous journey in making their sound cohesive and refined.

“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” takes after previous track “Tell Me Straight” in tone, but with an R&B influence. In the longest track of the album – at longer than seven minutes – listeners are introduced to the consistent percussive prowess of Steve Jordan, the new drummer of the Rolling Stones and replacement for Charlie Watts, who died in 2021. Lady Gaga makes an unexpected appearance – and while the instrumentals on the album swirl around Jordan’s beat, she and Jagger provide a soulfully cinematic sonic experience.

As a testament to the influences that forged the Rolling Stones, the group chose to cover Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ Stone” in a track titled “Rolling Stone Blues” with a more developed instrumental than the original. Richards’ pluck guitar was reminiscent of blues musicians Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf – Jagger’s mic was also distorted to provide a classic rock feel to the final track.

The “Hackney Diamonds” will surely remind old and new fans why the Rolling Stones have remained notorious figures in the music industry. Jagger and Richards have retained their youthful energy without compromising their musical wisdom, and newcomer Jordan showed his chops as a placeholder for the late Watts. As the curtain sets on the Rolling Stones, audiences have received a set of songs with classic potential, showing that old dogs can learn new tricks.

When you put a Rolling Stone on a mountain, don’t expect it to stop moving.