AAA - AROUND

AAA’s first album, ATTACK, came out in January 2006, and it was followed by a second album titled ALL in January 2007. In September 2007, their third original album AROUND was released. The titles are no coincidence as the three big As in their name stand for none other than “Attack All Around.” The third album features lively tracks of different styles like rock, jazz and swing.

Some hard guitars and playful trumpets welcome you to Get Chu, and it sets up a wonderful start into a varied hour. The jazzy background is displaced against a summer set, and promptly you’re in the world of SUNSHINE. After four minutes, the atmosphere becomes more rock with SHE no jijitsu. The entertaining track is enjoyable, particularly in the changing vocals. And then the time for a love song has come, which heralds the old-fashioned and fast Kuchibiru kara romantica. An impressive style mix of rock and hip-hop awaits the listener in Red Soul; the track itself is very catchy and gets attention because of its driving guitar chords and the nice E-solo.

The terrific and weird, but also exciting and mysterious, Paradise Paradise comes next. You’ll have to listen to this song several times to pick apart the finesse and find its secret. The two following songs, Hanabi and No End Summer, are both more ballad like and were released on the single Natsumono a few months before. A saxophone and fast samba beats distinguish Body Talker, which is followed by the strong and energetic That’s Right. Fans of sparkling electric guitar chords will have their fun here. Afterward, a change in pace and style may surprise you; the ballad Saigo no kotoba was chosen as the last track. The song is accompanied by a piano and some strings, and within the track, sensitive lines take turns with their rapped counterparts, and a certain beach feeling is there as well.

AROUND is a surprisingly entertaining album which offers a lot of styles, and it's definitely worth listening to if you want to know AAA better. Kuchibiru kara romantica and That’s Right are particularly noteworthy tracks: the former because of the nostalgic feeling, and the latter because of the marvelous electric guitar.