By Zackary Kozak
In October of 2013, Snarky Puppy performed and recorded their album We Like It Here with a live audience in Utrecht, Netherlands. The album was my introduction to the band’s compositional complexity and worldly blend of jazz, rock, and funk (among other sounds and sensibilities). Bassist and primary composer Michael League founded the collective in 2004 while attending the University of North Texas. Over the course of their now twenty year career, Snarky Puppy has won five Grammy awards and become a celebrated figure in contemporary jazz. This past Friday, December 6th, I was happily surprised with a revitalized release of the album that sparked my love for the ardent artists: We Like It Here (Remixed + Remastered + Reimagined). Upon listening, I fell in love with their sonic diversity all over again.
Disc 1 of the album features remixed and remastered versions of the original We Like It Here tracklist. I was immediately impressed by the new soundscapes created by these tracks. Snarky Puppy is a groove machine. No element in jazz is more intoxicating than slowly lulling into the mystery of a groove just to rise up, down, left, or right with the stroke of a keyboard, trill of a saxophone, or smooth elasticity of a guitar lick. Although the original mix filled my groovy hunger beyond satiation, the new mix revealed to me the importance of each piece of the musical puzzle that is Snarky Puppy’s music. The dynamics feel more controlled, with a distinct balance between the rhythm and lead sections. I’d describe the instrumentals as crisp—nuanced and punchy to the ear, in the best way possible. I continuously felt lost in the galactic jungle of Snarky Puppy’s drums and percussion. The ever-evolving cast of instruments switch from supporting to starring roles, trade off solos, and all lay right above the orchestrating maestro’s bassline. Snarky Puppy’s tonal vocabulary is certainly one that’s worth re-experiencing.
Disc 2’s first eight tracks offer alternate takes of the original songs off of We Like It Here. Where the remixed and remastered tracks were revealing, these alternate takes are surprising. Subtle changes within songs I’ve heard hundreds of times feel like clever easter eggs for Snarky Puppy veterans and newcomers alike to discover with a shake of their shoulders and bop of their head as they listen. The grooviness is once again unparalleled; and, as the album title suggests, these “reimagined” tracks truly let you jam to beloved songs like never before. Continuing with the theme of surprise, Disc 2’s ninth track (the final song on the album) is a bonus version of “Gretel,” originally recorded with the Metropole Orkest on their collaborative album Sylva in 2015. This beautiful ending to the album serves as an emotional catharsis, releasing an abundance of energy in heart wrenching rests between crashing and sweeping strings.
If you know and love We Like It Here, this new release can only strengthen your bond with the album. And if you are yet to check out Snarky Puppy’s music, then I don’t think there is a better place to start. Like always, I find myself attracted to the images that the music creates in my mind. Unlike the lyrical power of my other favorite artists, it is the instrumental voice that Snarky Puppy communicates with best. Through the marvelous sounds of We Like It Here (Remixed + Remastered + Reimagined), we are able to hear a sharper translation of the collective’s artistic message. It is safe to say that anyone interested in a unique fusion of jazz and musical creativity will “Like It Here.”