With a continuous supply of new music being released, it’s already time for another installment of my Fresh New Tracks series. Today I’m showcasing four songs by, in alphabetical order, Brooklyn, NY-based indie rock band Atlas Engine, Australian rock band Big Wheels, Michigan singer-songwriter Matt Csiszar and English musician and composer Josephine Pascoe. I’ve previously featured Matt and Josephine on this blog, whereas Atlas Engine and Big Wheels are new to me. All songs were released over the past week.

Atlas Engine – “Comfort and Calm”

Atlas Engine is a Brooklyn, New York-based band who make what they call “celestial indie rock”, an appropriate description for their dreamy style of alternative psychedelic rock. Fronted by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Nick LaFalce, (who relocated to L.A. in 2023 but still spends time in Brooklyn), the five-piece also includes Garrett Hess on guitar, Patrick Cochrane on bass, Katie Glasgow on synths & vocals, and Brendan McGuckin on drums. Starting with the release of their debut EP After the End in 2016, they’ve since followed with numerous singles and EPs, along with their wonderfully-titled and gorgeous debut album When the Compass Resets, There Can Be No Regrets in 2023.

2025 has been a busy year thus far for Atlas Engine, as in March they released a single “Desert Demos: 1” to raise funds for friends affected by the Los Angeles fires, then followed two weeks later with “(Alternate State)”, consisting of three versions of an interlude at the end of “All I Want Is Everything”, from When the Compass Resets There Can Be No Regrets. In April they dropped the beautiful “New Constellation”, and now return with yet another new single “Comfort and Calm” a thoroughly enchanting song that lives up to its title. For the recording of the song, bass was played by Patrick Cochrane, drums by Jonathan Smith and additional vocals were sung by Sally Hatchet. I love the swirling ethereal synths, shimmery guitar notes, crisp percussion and gentle bass, all of which create a dreamy atmospheric backdrop for Nick and Sally’s captivating harmonies.

Big Wheels – “Lazy Bones”

Hailing from Sydney, Australia is Big Wheels, a modern indie rock band comprised of singer-songwriters Cass Ford and Lawson Doyle, along with guitarist Tyler Buchanan. Formed in late 2021 with a shared love for legendary acts like Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane, and The Black Keys, Big Wheels write songs exploring the highs, lows and complexities of life, while incorporating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Also, Cass is originally from Birmingham, England, giving the band have strong ties to the British music scene. They began releasing music in May 2022 with their debut single “Chain of Fire”, and have steadily dropped a series of outstanding songs ever since. Their previous single, the bluesy rocker “Silver and Black”, landed on several Spotify editorial playlists, including New Noise, All New Rock, Local Noise, and Fresh Finds AU/NZ, as well as garnering airplay on BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio UK, and Triple J.

Their ninth and latest single is “Lazy Bones“, a wonderful sensuous track with strong Fleetwood Mac vibes. I love those bluesy guitar riffs, chugging grooves and the marvelous interplay between Cass and Lawson’s vocals. And in fact, Cass seems to channel Stevie Nicks as she sings with such raw emotion in the chorus, I’m covered in goosebumps. The lyrics speak of letting go of past disagreements and enjoying each others’ company, at least for the night: “It’s been so long why don’t we make up. We can forget it all tonight. I know we said we’d tear the page out but maybe we stay here for a while. So lay down lazy bones, next to me. We ain’t got nowhere we need to be. Baby won’t you be my remedy, and lay down lazy bones, next to me (baby next to me).” Big Wheels will be releasing their debut EP Bury Me in Velvet in June.

Matt Csiszar – “Maria”

Matt Csiszar is an earnest and kind singer-songwriter, musician and composer from Michigan I’ve been following for the past four years. With a lifelong love for music, he started writing and recording his own songs at the age of 13, and over the years has taught himself to play guitar, piano, bass, and drums. His music is pretty eclectic, drawing from a wide range of genres and styles from pop, rock, folk, country and blues to electronic, funk, dance, industrial, jazz and even classical. A prolific artist, Matt released his debut album In The Mind in 1999 while in his early 20s, then played in the band Endless Question for a while before returning to recording and releasing music again as a solo artist in the early 2010s. He’s released numerous singles and an astonishing eight albums, most recently the excellent Many Roads in September 2022. Almost exactly three years ago to the day, on May 7, 2022, I featured his song “Chicago” in another Fresh New Tracks post. After the release of Many Roads, he took the next few years off to focus on his health and emotional well-being.

Now Matt is back with a brand new single “Maria“, a melancholy but lovely track he says “is a song of hope for survivors of childhood abuse. I want the listener to feel like I’m telling their story in hopes that it brings them strength and healing.” Accompanied by just his gentle acoustic guitar, Matt’s plaintive vocals remind me a bit of Jon Bon Jovi as he sings the poignant lyrics touching on Maria’s difficult upbringing, and offering her hope and encouragement for a safer and happier adulthood: “Her mother was so critical, she can still hear her voice calling her pitiful. Now she has no choice but to pick herself apart, breaking her own heart. Her father was a bastard to say the least. She’s triggered by the sound of stomping feet cause he’d come and scream in her face, yeah, that’s all the attention he gave. Maria, are you lonesome tonight? You know you’re getting closer to who you are meant to be. Maria, everything will be alright. you’re beautiful and someday this you will see, Maria.”

Josephine Pascoe – “Llumine”

A favorite musician and composer of mine is Josephine Pascoe, a classically trained pianist, violinist and flautist based in the London suburbs. With a life-long love of music, she studied at Trinity College of Music in London, where she began composing her own music. She also trained to be a secondary school music teacher, but prefers giving one-on-one instrumental instruction on piano and violin. Since 2017, she’s collaborated with Windsor-based guitarist and producer Neil Thom (who she met the year before when she began taking guitar lessons from him) in the creation of exceptional instrumental music infused with elements of jazz, acid jazz, classical, blues and funk. Together, they’ve released an impressive amount of outstanding singles, two of which, “Starfish” and “Odyssey”, I reviewed.

Their latest – and 20th – single is “Llumine“, delivering four minutes of pure auditory bliss. For the recording of the track, Josephine played piano, Rhodes electric piano, keyboard synths, strings and flute, while Neil played bass and drums. As with all their songs, Neil handled production and engineering. Blending acid jazz with classical influences, they create a bewitching fantasia of sound, highlighted by Josephine’s sparkling piano keys, breezy strings and lilting flute, and nicely grounded by Neil’s subtle bass and crisp percussion. I’ve loved every single one of their releases, and “Llumine” just might rank among my very favorites of them all.