Every week at the end of performance night during 'Idol' season, I take to my cell phone and dial the voting number (which I can recite in my sleep) for my favorite contestant, along with millions of other loyal viewers. Every season I seem to have a favorite that stands above the rest, and season 6 was no different. A contestant by the name of Phil Stacey earned my loyal vote (okay, okay... VOTES) each week.  There was something very genuine and personable about him, not to mention his voice... Wow!  You know those artists you can point out within seconds of hearing a song, even if you have never heard it before?  One of those artists for me, as well as many others, is Phil Stacey.

I was sad to see him go, but he did make it into the top five out of thousands of contestants.  What an accomplishment!  As he sang his farewell song "Blaze of Glory," I knew this was definitely not the last his fans were going to see of him.

Not long after I found the Phil had signed to Lyric Street as a Country artist, which made perfect sense.  It's what his niche was on 'Idol.'  The self-titled album wasn't too bad.  I didn't really put any expectations on it, as I was just curious to see what musical direction he had taken.  There were some really catchy tunes, and some very nice ballads.  A good number of the songs still remain on my iPod.

After some time, I couldn't help but notice that the public wasn't taking to the album as well as I had hoped. Not only for my sake of hearing new music from him in the future, but for Phil's sake.  Some time after the release, I read that Phil was parting ways with Lyric Street.  It's the kind of news that may not directly have an affect on you, but it's not news that you want to hear, especially from one of your favorite artists.

I was soon cushioned by the small blow by finding that Reunion Records had picked Phil up, and he would be releasing a Christian album.  I was very happy for him, as this seemed like it would be the perfect fit for this family man and pastors son.  Phil's faith was and is an evident part of his life, and this seemed to be the perfect fit. From the outside looking in, the first album was merely a stepping stone to where Phil truly belongs.

Phil's new album, "Into The Light," is set for an August 25th release.  The album was produced by Brown Bannister, who is also responsible for the likes of Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, and fellow 'Idol' contestant Mandisa.  The album as a whole is full of encouraging and uplifting songs. 

One track that seems to be a fore runner is "You're Not Shaken," which I first head on the radio while driving through town. It's a very solid track all around.  It starts off with Phils powerful vocals, and it only gets stronger from there.  By far one of the powerhouse tracks on the album.  I am very much looking forward to seeing him perform it live.

Another lead track on the album would be "One."  The track speaks of no matter how little we have to give, we can still make a difference.  I believe it's something that many people need to hear, and I know they will be moved by it.

Other tracks worth mentioning are "It's Gotta Be Love," "With All My Heart," and "Glorious."  I also have to admit that trying to pick out which tracks to high lite was a bit of a task. There are so many great songs, each having something different for the listener to take from it.

To sum it up, I want to leave you with Phil's own words for the record from an excerpt that I found on his official website, PhilStacey.com...

"Overall, the theme of the record would be Psalm 46, which says 'The Lord is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.' I think that's an important message for us," he says. "We need to understand that we do have a destination. My destination is heaven and everything that happens until that point is just the journey in getting there. In this life, we're going to have mountains and valleys and right now is a time when a lot of people are experiencing those valleys. I just want to reach out to them and tell them, 'Take courage and know that God is still on the throne no matter what your situation is. He's not shaken by it, He's completely in control.'"