Tears were shed when Bernard Butler quit Suede at the peak of the band's genius.

The split from enigmatic frontman Brett Anderson was lamented as the greatest tragedy in British music since Morrissey and Marr detonated The Smiths.

Now, 11 years later, fans can dry their eyes as Suede cut new cloth as The Tears.

From the energetic opener and first single Refugees there is no mistaking that Anderson and Butler are back. There's the rousing rhythm, the tune that's catchy yet surprising enough to catch you off guard, and Anderson's gothic vocal. All of which makes you wonder, why the name change? However, The Tears are not Suede. Butler's sound and vision is gentler. Electric guitar is blended with synths and strings to create a softer, more sophisticated effect, but at the expense of thrill and drama which were Suede's hallmarks.

The sneer and venom in Anderson's voice has also mellowed, most evidently on the dreamy Co-Star and the ethereal ballad A Love As Strong As Death.

A glimmer of the old Anderson emerges in the pared down The Ghost Of You; his voice cracking in Butler's cavernous wall of sound.

For sheer catchiness, The Lovers ticks all the boxes and is the best chance of chart success. But, ultimately, this vehicle is like a shiny new car - with no fuel in the tank.

All perfectly pleasant, but on the road to nowhere.

Updated: 16:40 Wednesday, June 15, 2005