For eighteen years the Rolling Stones’ fans have waited with baited breath for the followup to 2005’s A Bigger Bang, their last album of original material to date. In the interim, the band launched successful tours for both their 50th and 60th anniversaries, released a well acclaimed album of blues covers (2016’s Blue and Lonesome) and tragically lost drummer Charlie Watts in August of 2021.

Earlier in the year, the Stones announced that they would not be touring in 2023, but promised that their first original album in nearly two decades would be ready by the end of the year. After a long tease via a rogue marketing campaign, the Stones have finally announced the release of their 24th album, Hackney Diamonds, and have officially released the first single from the album, entitled “Angry.” 

“Angry” begins with a stuttering open G riff that is trademark Rolling Stones, with a vocal refrain of “don’t be angry with me” that may not be their most clever but will instantly get stuck in your head. The groove is punchy and infectious, with the band’s signature ‘swing and swerve’ rhythm in full effect. It builds to a great crescendo, finishing on a solo that is the most melodic Richards has played in years. Vocally, Jagger sounds incredibly vibrant and confident, with his trademark boorish delivery unphased by the sands of time as he sneers out the lyrics of a relationship gone bad; subject-wise, the song recalls the dark days of Dirty Work, but with a more breezy, contrite attitude befitting of the mostly peaceful waters the band has been sailing on since reuniting in 2012.

Production-wise, the song sounds crisp and has a perfect ‘end of a summer’ sound, a great soundtrack for rolling down the windows and singing along to on the highway. 

The song isn’t an instant classic Stones tune by any means, but it certainly gets the job done in building anticipation for the October 20th release date of the album in full; in the meantime, crack open a cold one, sit by the pool, and tap your foot along to this catchy, crunchy ear worm from a band that somehow manages to stay fresh and vital after all these years.