Russell Hitchcock, ‘Far Enough Away From Colorado’

If you add a weepy steel guitar to an easy-listening ballad, does it become a country song? What if it's recorded in Nashville? Each week, another singer famous for his or her non-country stylings announces an upcoming "country" album. This week it's Russell Hitchcock, one half of '80s group Air Supply, who's releasing the song 'Far Enough Away From Colorado' to country radio.

So far very few have succeeded to crack radio playlists nationwide a la Darius Rucker, but one or two have released projects with sound artistic integrity. The magic is in each artist's sincerity. Hitchcock doesn't quite throw himself to the genre with the first preview from his upcoming album 'Tennessee: The Nashville Sessions.' He holds back and relies upon listeners to put a face on the girl he's trying to distance himself from. One doesn't sense he's ever felt the pain he's singing about. Furthermore, it seems the Australian would be more likely to avoid Sydney or Brisbane than a state in America's Mountain West region.

"Around here there's no hills, but there's a mountain / I have to climb or go around it / If there's a way I haven't found it," Hitchcock sings on the track.

Another pop-to-country crossover artist tried a song about climbing mountains for a first effort. It's doubtful Hitchcock has ever drawn comparisons to Miley Cyrus, but his effort feels similarly generic. Fans of Air Supply could appreciate the song, but there aren't enough of them in country circles to make this song a hit. Going forward, Hitchcock would be better served to sacrifice the Air Supply fans that made him famous and recklessly throw himself to the country genre. Few crossover artists have shown a willingness to do that, and country fans have reacted with ambivalence.

Rating: 3/10

Listen to Russell Hitchcock, 'Far Enough Away From Colorado'