Joel Sawyer

THE Tears bring together two lost stars of the indie rock scene - Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson.

Since they went their separate ways after forming Suede, both have had a pretty poor run of fortune.

Butler saw his solo efforts fizzle out quicker than they sparked to life and Anderson managed to drag Suede down into a forgotten corner.

And when you think that their collaborations made the critics buzz so much that they were held in such company as Radiohead, it's a shame their star faded in such a boring fashion.

Happily though, the stars have realigned to give them a second chance. They've regrouped with some top-notch support - and they appear to be picking up where they left off.

Refugees is the first single to be taken from their soon-to-be released album and it manages to sound both familiar and fresh.

There's Brett's distinctive vocals and Bernard's frenetic guitar patterns - and a fresh, uplifting, us-against-the-world stance.

Fans of early Suede may approach with caution, but it's a good start.