Fusilier Surprise Drops Debut Album 'Ambush'

True to its name, Ambush, the debut album from Fusilier, has surprise dropped on IS NOT MUSIC. The album’s thesis statement, “Hello” exemplifies the many influences and sounds present in Ambush. Accompanied by a soft guitar riff, Fusilier gently introduces us to his inner thoughts. 

A brilliant cast of musicians bring their a-games on bass (Chris Connors), drums (Vishal Nayak), violin (Lavinia Pavlish, Katie Jacoby), while previous collaborators Bartees Strange and Teeny Lieberson return to share their vocals and guitar and synth skills, respectively. All of them unite behind Fusilier as he pushes towards the song’s climax, where it slows to a dramatic tempo as his rebellious tenor vocalizes his wildest dreams come true: “Tonight, I feel like a cowboy.”

For Fusilier, Ambush is his maternal guide to fighting and loving in the shadow of defeat, its title taken from his mother’s maiden name as much as the act of surprise. For the listener, Ambush is a ferocious whirlwind of polyrhythms, cutting lyricism, classical motifs, distorted riffs, and soaring vocals that document a journey for self-love and humanity in the face of indignity and commodification. Throughout, Fusilier triangulates influences of dance music, turn of the century rock, and southern hip-hop to produce a sound that’s as politically urgent as it is singularly fun. Now, after years of percolating in the indie scene working with Pegg and RIBS alongside Bartees Strange and Teeny Lieberson, Blake Fusilier emerges as a formidable musician, songwriter, and performer in his own right.

Ambush is Fusilier’s most collaborative project to date, with many folks contributing to production and performance, including Carlos Hernandez (Carlos Truly), Teeny Lieberson (Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory), and Vishal Nayak (Nick Hakim). While the album was created in “so many places by so many people,” Fusilier credits studio time with Bartees Strange in DC as the catalyst for turning this collection of songs into such a cohesive, potent statement. Ambush puts Fusilier comfortably alongside Yves Tumor, Perfume Genius, and Model/Actriz as a distinctive voice in adventurous pop music. He may have been ambushed, but trust Fusilier is finally free. Ambush is his way of letting you know.

Photo Credit: Yulissa Benitez