2014 · Album
We Like It Here
Recorded 2014 · GroundUP Music · Produced by Michael League
Where Groove Meets Technical Brilliance
We Like It Here captures Snarky Puppy at their most accessible and genuinely fun.
By the time We Like It Here (2014) arrived, Snarky Puppy had already built a reputation as one of those bands that musicians talk about in hushed tones — tight beyond reason, harmonically adventurous, able to shift between genres without breaking a sweat. This album is the moment that reputation connected with a wider audience, and it did so by doing something counterintuitive: it got looser. Not sloppy, never that. Loose in the sense that the band stopped trying to prove anything and just played music they genuinely loved.
What makes this record distinct is how it breathes. Tracks like "Lingus" and "What About Me?" have space in them—actual room for the listener to move around. Michael League's compositions give the rhythm section room to explore, and the band's collective sense of dynamics means they're constantly adjusting, responding to each other rather than executing a predetermined plan. There's a guest list here—Cory Wong, Mark Lettieri, Bob Lanzetti—but the magic is that they don't feel like guests. They feel like the conversation got bigger. The production is clean without being sterile, which matters because you can hear exactly what everyone's doing and why it matters.
This is genuinely the album to start with if you're curious about Snarky Puppy. It's not their most experimental work, but that's fine—it's the moment the band figured out how to make technical mastery feel effortless and fun. It's become their most recognized record for good reason. If you come to it expecting jazz fusion in the traditional sense, you might be confused, but if you just want to hear five musicians completely committed to making something that grooves and surprises you, this is exactly where you belong.
Who's playing
Chris Bullockbass clarinet
Michael Leaguebass guitar
Bob Lanzettielectric guitar
Mark Lettierielectric guitar
Chris McQueenbaritone guitar
Bob Reynoldstenor saxophone
Larnell Lewisdrums
Nate Werthpercussion
Steven Brezetpercussion
Julio Pimentalpercussion
Cory Henrykeyboard
Tessel Hersbachviolin
Yannick Hiwatviolin
Jay Jenningsflugelhorn
Bill Laurancekeyboard
Mike Maherflugelhorn
Shaun Martinkeyboard
Susanne Rosmolencello
Justin Stantonkeyboard
Mara Tielesviola
