Fusilier’s Ambush: A Journey, and Then Some, In A Brilliant Debut

“It’s of something else entirely” Brooklyn-based artist Fusilier starts as the first line of “Ambush”, the title and opening track of his debut album. Released March 28th under IS NOT MUSIC, Ambush is a sonic journey that packs a world of narrative and emotion in the shortest half an hour you’ll experience. As for the title track, imagine if a Yves Tumor song was sung by Childish Gambino. Aggressive drums and scratchy synths join a distorted guitar sound to make an experience seemingly made for a Mad Max film. Someone call Immortan Joe. “You wanna dance with a man with the face of God?” he says in this song about a monstrous ego, a theme that seems to flow throughout the album. This song deserves a big stage with pyrotechnics to accompany every “Down!” at the end of the song.

“LLC”, the second track of the album, takes us to a different place sounding straight out of Prince’s Parade. In another interview, he’s described himself as a punk artist, but also noting the influences of RnB, rhythm, and movement. Fusilier leans into the complementary words “classic” and “distorted” to describe the album on his Bandcamp page and the crafting of the album, along with the track sequencing, reveals an expert understanding in the journey of an album.

Fusilier showcases an excellent display of range taking us from garage band rock to a more softer orchestral sound and beyond. The narratives jump from celebrity and ego as in “Ambush”, raunch as in “NSA”, or grief as in the stripped “Satellites”.

“Birds” is this ambient Moses Sumney-like experience with vocals on the higher register. “All the dreams we dream of, so insane/ It’s for the birds” speaks directly to the absurdity of celebrity and how empty it all is. The lyrics, loaded with references to birds throughout, make for an interesting narrative that seems to follow that of the title track - again relating to ego. The sexy “NSA”, as if not broken up by a short interlude, continues the bird theme starting with “Cuckoo/Cuckoo” before diving right into the deep bass driven song while rich and layered harmonies over violin and guitar create this spectacle of rock excellence.

Ambush masterfully packs a universe of experience and emotion in just 29 minutes between 11 tracks. The album is a delicate smorgasbord of sound, creating a compelling package that, even in its refusal to be defined, seems definitive. What then could be definitive about an artist who refuses to be defined? Well, for one, that he refuses to be defined - but also, two, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

You can buy the album via his Bandcamp page.