While some of the J-rock musicians try to camouflage their '80s rock infatuation, Aikawa Nanase proudly wears her influences on her sleeve. The oughties in the album release date don't mean a thing; her rock songs are as fast as Billy Idol's (and then some), her synth lines are better than those of Europe's, and her power ballads soar in the sky above jet routes. Nanase makes a wise move, giving the sound of the era a facelift that removes all the worst clichés, such as the plastic drums or the flat guitar tones (Magenta Rain has a few serious nu-metal riffs) but the record also loses some of the "aw shucks" attitude that was, frankly, one of the best points of the decade's music. However, 7.7.7 makes up for its somewhat juvenile earnestness with a handful of the really strong tracks, such as Lie Lie Lie and Night Rainbow, that sound good regardless of their level of profoundness. No Nanase album is totally devoid of filler, and there are some songs on 7.7.7 that were better left on the master tapes to await an "unreleased" collection -- such as Renai Taishitsu, a tribute to the "tuff" rock that doesn't really fit Nanase's romantic hard rock style. But still, this record achieves what it means to achieve with good results -- it may be two decades late, but it's better than many of its predecessors. Besides, commercial rock music in general doesn't change so much, and a little mental effort may be enough to get convinced that 7.7.7 is actually contemporary, just not trend-setting -- which is, apparently, what Nanase and her producers do, anyway. ~ Alexey Eremenko, Rovi

1		Lie Lie Lie
2		R-Shitei
3		Blue Knife
4		Renai Taishitsu
5		Black Angel
6		Mokka No Koibito
7		Dahlia -She Knows Love-
8		Ai No Uta -Magenta Rain-
9		Natsu No Hi No Coral
10		Hi Wo Tsukeru Baby!!
11		Toki No Kaze
12		Night Rainbow
13		Shock of Love