C+Phil Stacey

(Lyric Street)

ANOTHER IDOL GOES COUNTRY: Sixth-season American Idol finalist Phil Stacey follows Carrie Underwood, Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler, among others, to Nashville for a stab at country music stardom. His self-titled debut disc is produced by Wayne Kirkpatrick (Little Big Town) and boasts a batch of radio-ready tunes penned by many Music City pros. It screams commercial accessibility.

HE'S GOT POTENTIAL, BUT ...: The Kentucky-born singer has a nice, warm voice that rings true no matter what he croons. He's at his best on the country-rocking " 'Round Here," which was written by the members of Little Big Town. "You Are Mine," co-penned by former Mr. Mister leader Richard Page, is a winning down-home ballad. But most of the disc is cluttered with slick, ordinary fodder such as the forgettable single "If You Didn't Love Me," the cloying "Identity" and the sappy "Be Good to Each Other."

BOTTOM LINE: Better songs would have done the trick here. Mr. Stacey deserves them.

Mario Tarradell