We Like It Here
We Like It Here makes complicated instrumental music feel welcoming. Snarky Puppy combine jazz, funk and rock with strong melodies and a rhythm section that keeps everything moving. Recorded with a studio audience in the Netherlands, the album has the energy of a live performance and the detail of a carefully arranged record. The musicians have plenty of room to stand out, but the larger group sound remains the main attraction.
Shofukan establishes that balance. The guitars and horns help carry a memorable theme, while the arrangement keeps adding weight and colour around it. The movement towards a stronger funk section gives the opening a clear lift. It is a useful introduction to a band who can make a long instrumental feel direct without keeping it simple.
What About Me? puts the rhythm section closer to the centre. The bass sound is thick, the percussion stays active, and the changes have enough force to appeal beyond a jazz audience. There is plenty of technical skill on display, but the groove gives the busy playing a clear purpose. Outlier offers another strong meeting point between jazz detail and rock energy.
The quieter colours matter too. Kite uses strings to create a different setting before trumpet and piano take more space. Sleeper adds a vocal-like electronic texture, while Tio Macaco brings a lighter Latin rhythmic feel. Those differences give each piece its own identity and keep the record from becoming a sequence of similar solos.
Lingus is the large closing statement. Cory Henry's keyboard work gradually takes command, building from clear melodic ideas into much more intense playing. The band respond without losing the rhythmic foundation. It is a strong ending because the excitement comes from the interaction, rather than speed alone.
The amount of activity can still be demanding. Listeners who prefer short, restrained arrangements may find some passages too full, and the strongest peaks make the less forceful sections feel smaller beside them. Yet the compositions provide enough direction to keep the skill from becoming the whole point. We Like It Here is an inviting route into modern fusion, with strong tunes, convincing grooves and a group performance that gives both sides room to grow.
