Lyrically, Anderson hasn't moved on from rubbish on the streets and neon lights, but the truth is it doesn't matter. Brett has always recycled rhyming couplets, but it was never about scanning the lyric sheet - it was always the romance in the gutter that saw Anderson and Butler forge the greatest song writing partnership since Morrissey and Marr.
 | | Brett Anderson of The Tears at Academy 2 |
Imperfections sets the benchmark for The Tears. A close partner of Suede's Obsessions, it's all talk of beautiful "imperfections" and "my animal". Future single Refugees has all the hallmarks of a lost McAlmont and Butler track - soaring strings, a large dose of soul and Brett and Bernard playing the parts of Bonnie and Clyde. "You're as dark as the ocean, as high as the rain", croons Anderson on Beautiful Pain. A song which sounds like Pantomime Horse had it been recorded one album later. When The Tears hit the mark, they do so with the passion of their former group. Yet when they fail to make an impact on Brave New Century and the closing ballad, A Love As Strong As Death, it's frankly embarrassing to watch.
 | | Brett Anderson of The Tears at Academy 2 |
Sadly for The Tears, the fevered excitement is more about the fact that after such an acrimonious split, Brett and Bernard once again are sharing the same stage rather than the new material keeping the legacy alive. As always, the chemistry between them on stage is not so much about two souls complementing each other, as it is two massive egos competing for attention. For every genius lyric, Butler will pull out a soaring solo to which Anderson responds by spinning around like Bowie on speed. The fact that they've chosen to regroup under a new name rather than the Suede banner implies that deep down they feel they'll never match their first time around. Anderson and Butler are far from a spent force, as other publications have suggested. The last Suede album, A New Morning, and McAlmont and Butler's Bring It Back were testament to that. Maybe with The Tears all they need to do is introduce tighter quality control. | 
