Album Review: Play Nice

Multi award winning Christchurch based musicians Phil and Lana Doublet have teamed up to write, record, and release the stunning album Play Nice.

The pair wrote all but one of the songs on the album. The Key was written by Lana Doublet and Renee Mcalpin.

The Doublets are a tight unit, writing and playing some of the sweetest Country tunes in Aotearoa.

The opening track My Old Man No More seems to be a break-up song where the female protagonist is not that sad to see the back of a partner, and kind of hopes his new woman makes a fool of him.

Track two is titled Dear No-one and it sounds like a call into the wind; someone asking the universe for help.

The title track Play Nice is a definite single which sounds as fresh as anything coming out of Nashville or Tamworth.

Phil only takes the vocal lead on a couple of tracks; Movin’ On and Where Is The Good In Goodbye? While I love Lana’s voice, it’s a nice change to have Phil take the lead.

The musicianship on Play Nice is top shelf and simply wonderful. Here’s the cast of characters Paddy Long – Pedal Steel Guitar, Jeremy Brownbrooke – Fiddle and Mandolin, Lana Doublet – Vocals, Brushed Snare and Percussion and Phil Doublet – everything else.

The production is really polished, recorded by Phil and Lana at their place, then mixed by Matt Fell and mastered by Michael Carpenter at Love Hz in Australia.

Play Nice should definitely be a contender for NZ’s Country Album of the Year.