Having caught Bridge's last gig at the Wheatsheaf on 23rd April, I thought I knew what to expect from a band I had only recently become acquainted with. The Wheatsheaf crowd had been receptive and the atmosphere lent Bridge the appeal of being effortlessly authentic and edgy. The turn-out at the Zodiac was disappointing, but while the lack of a respectable audience seemed to phase the two support bands, Bridge took it all in their stride.

Their opening song, the rolling 'Blood Meridian', calls up the American landscape and is the kind of lyrical epic that could sit quite happily with a back catalogue of country folk ballads and broadsides. Multi-talented Colin MacKinnon possesses a warm, clean, perfectly pitched voice suited to complicated, emotive folk melodies, and his understated stage presence adds credibility to the band's set. Equally at home playing guitar and keyboards, MacKinnon's subject matter ranges from the political to the personal, taking his inspiration from the lyrical tradition of stories rooted in the dark ancestry of collective human experience.

The A side of Bridge's new release, 'So Sue Me', showcases MacKinnon's Celtic leanings and Bridge's mainstream potential, and the organ lines bring to mind the Strawbs and other early progressive bands without the threat of obligatory indulgence; a vein repeated in other songs in the set. The sublime 'Harvester' recalls early Fleetwood Mac, confirming Bridge's unique fusion of trans-Atlantic influences (rock, pop, country, folk, soul and blues) as their signature sound. This sound remains successfully fresh and elusive throughout the set, each song moving in a new direction without fragmenting Bridge's individuality.

'Where are you now?' is how you wanted the Commitments to sound, and 'The Programme' calls to mind the soapbox self-righteousness of the anti-establishment glut of bands, while still retaining a Jefferson Airplane sense of restraint and harmony. Bruno Muellbauer's cheeky look and keyboard skills lend the band an eccentric, Sparks-inspired edge, but none of the band members vie for your attention, giving the impression of a carefully measured grouping where each musician's contribution is indispensable to their collective vision.

The Wheatsheaf gig convinced me Bridge are a group worth your evening; the Zodiac gig, however, showed me how Bridge can transmit soulful, serious music in an upbeat style without losing any of its power. Like all unique 'hybrid' bands in musical history; The Byrds, Fairport Convention, Led Zeppelin; Bridge promise to break into new ground. Their driving drumbeats, vibrant bass guitar strokes and keyboard notes and mix of acoustic and electric guitars keep Bridge firmly in the modern catalogue. They have the laid-back, easy-going air of a band waiting for imminent discovery, and it is this charm that makes them equally at home in the spotlight. They don't ask for your approval so much as demand your respect, and who would deny them that when no other Oxford band sounds remotely like them?

Leanne Jones, 11th June 2004