Drawing multiple comparisons to Fleetwood Mac (sans romantic entanglements), The Bridges have served as my to-and-from work soundtrack for the past week.

The Oxford, Alabama-based quintet features siblings Natalie Byrd (piano and guitar), Stacey Byrd (guitar), Isaaca Byrd (bass), and Jeremy Byrd (drums), with cousin Brittany Painter on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. Though its oldest member was born in 1984, the group’s sound is unabashedly rooted in the folk-rock (rock-folk?) of the Sixties and Seventies.

Limits Of The Sky, The Bridges’ debut album, was produced by Matthew Sweet, a guy who knows a thing or two about mining AM gold. I can’t recall the last time listeners were treated to such lovely harmonies (no, The Corrs don’t count). Limits‘ original compositions are as comfortably familiar as a rec room sofa, yet remarkably fresh. Many have remained lodged in my brain long after turning my iPod off.

“Runaway,” one of my favorite tracks, is a Mac-style mirage rising from the Me Decade. Hear here:

Limits Of The Sky was released in June, but my encounter with The Bridges was perfectly timed because, as Painter sings, “it fits the fall” (though hers is a different definition). The album is a fantastic autumn addition. Take a scenic drive with the stereo up (or enjoy a sidewalk stroll if you’re steering clear of the pump) and enjoy tracks like “Unconditional” while they’re still mostly untouched by TV music supervisors.

It’s only a matter of time before some ABC drama comes calling because the song’s bridge (natch) is transcendent, hitting at the 1:21 mark. Hear here:

While that infamous “bridge to nowhere” has taken up much front-page real estate, these Bridges have constructed something worthwhile and quite stunning. Harkening back to the past, I plan to follow them well into the future.

Purchase Limits Of The Sky via iTunes, Amazon.