Into the Light - Phil Stacey

Following his stint on the reality TV show American Idol, Top 5 finalist Phil Stacey has had a tough time finding his place in the music industry. In 2008 he tried his hand in country music, releasing a self-titled album which met little success and producing two minor single attempts, but altogether dropping the deal to sign with Reunion Records earlier this year. Now here he is with his Christian music debut “Into the Light,” and for some reason I feel let down. Not that anything is wrong here. Slick, lightweight pop tunes are throughly enjoyable, and have a broad audience. But at the same time, I have a gut feeling that Phil still hasn’t found his niche. The production is unblemished, as is his unwavering voice, but the material will not captivate or relate to the listener in almost any way. It seems they were aiming for a praise and worship feel, but ended up with an uncomfortable sub-genre that takes away instead of giving more to the project. The songs aren't all bad, but for some reason it just doesn't seem hit the right note. The lead single, "You're Not Shaken" is one of the rare upbeat tunes on the disc and is obviously made for radio, and he finds his strength in these more driving rock songs, while the piano driven final, "Old Glory" reflects his enlistment in the Navy directly after the events of 9/11. One other stand-out is the anthem-like "Sanctuary", which is not only of the best here, but probably defines the album over all the others. So while this CD is not a career defining one, Reunion will probably give him another shot, but let's just hope the next time around he offers more substance to take from. And for some reason, I truly think he'll pull it off. ~ Christian Lingner

3 of 5 stars