Review Summary: Easy listening made......easy.
Akira Kosemura is a Japanese composer, known for his beautiful, yet minimalist, piano melodies. And significant stress is placed onto the word minimalist. Kosemura's sound lacks any form of bombast, relying simply on the calm mood, and the graceful dancing of piano keys. "Grassland" continues the sound found on Kosemura's previous records. The artists signature sound is completely intact, and everything is as "pretty" as ever. And that is precisely how to describe "Grassland": pretty. The music found here is not especially sweeping, engrossing, or bombastically emotional, yet it's all just so damn pretty. The subtle electronic accents go a long way in establishing a generally calm mood, while the acoustic portions help to add a bit more excitement into the mix. A few tracks even benefit from minimal vocal segments. Songs like "Grassland" and "Petrarca" are more visceral and interesting, while others, such as "Ballet" and "Ensemble" are more stripped down, yet just as listenable. "Grassland" stumbles a bit with songs like "Light" and "Over the Horizon." "Light" places too much emphasis on the vocal portion, which frankly is weak and incredibly uninspired, especially lyrically. "Over the Horizon" on the other hand, is simply the album's weakest track, sounding like a cross between elevator music and something one would hear on the Weather Channel.
All in all, "Grassland" is a very attractive record. While some songs make for better background music than actual songs, the album as a whole is very listenable. Just sit back, and enjoy one hell of a pretty piece of music.
