At over 10 minutes long, implementing only two chords “Templates for Limitless Fields of Grass” might be an odd choice for a single. But the expansiveness and thrill of this track off pianist and songwriter Ben Cosgrove’s forthcoming album, The Trouble With Wilderness, is illustrative of Cosgrove’s musical vision. “I tried to take the smallest possible idea, an arpeggio up and an arpeggio down, trying to see if I could make that into an inhabitable space, something with a narrative arc, something you can move around inside,” he says.
Even though the tune uses only two chords, the push and pull of dynamics, the utilization of the whole range of the piano and the dense, sweeping pianism makes “Templates For Limitless Fields of Grass” well… limitless. The song starts off by simply arpeggiating one chord. The tone is immediately pensive, sentimental and moving. But as the track builds, Cosgrove adds subtle changes, expanding the harmony, building on this one arpeggio, each small change like a new offshoot from a tree, eventually blooming into an encompassing forest of sound.
Cosgrove’s music has a cosmic connection to movement and travel. It’s no surprise given his time spent on the road: “Instead of really digging myself into a particular city or scene I drove around the country for years playing in literally any building that would have me. I would play at gas stations, bookstores, dive bars… that informed the type of music I write and my approach to it pretty dramatically,” he recalls. At its heart, Cosgrove’s music seeks to sonically portray nature and landscape. As he elegantly describes his songs: “They are like little nature essays in wordless form.”
“Templates for Limitless Fields of Grass” is no exception. Based on a visual art piece of the same name by Gary Kachadourian, the track places more emphasis on intricacies and subtle changes rather than overall patterns. “I wanted to make music about the things people would see everyday but not necessarily stop and think about. How the places you might overlook are beautiful, confusing and fascinating.”
Like nature itself, “Templates for Limitless Fields of Grass” is patterned but unpredictable. It’s dense and enveloping but the build and minute changes are immensely satisfying and will reward the close listener.
The Trouble With Wilderness will be released on April 23rd 2021.