Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Add Phil Stacey to the long list of Idol contestants with plans to release an album this year.

When last we heard from Phil, he had released a country album in April 2008.

It wasn’t exactly a smash hit for the top-six finisher from season six of Idol. The best-performing single from the self-titled disc hit number 28 on the country singles chart.

On Aug. 25, the 31-year-old will release a second album under a new label (Reunion Records) and with a new sound (Christian pop).

The 11-track album is titled “Into the Light,” and a press release announcing the CD says no one who knows Phil’s background should be surprised that he’s chosen this direction.

He’s the son of a pastor, the grandson of two pastors and was once a musical miniser himself, the release says.

Says Phil: “Everything I did with American Idol has readied me for this platform and this album. This is where I feel at home, and I can’t wait for people to hear these songs.”

You don’t have to wait to hear some of them. Full-length versions of four — “If You Didn’t Love Me,” “You’re Not Shaken,” “With All My Heart” and “Old Glory” — can be heard on Phil’s MySpace page. If you want the story behind all the songs, go here and click on the song-by-song link.