The ever-changing world of music has certainly thrown up some interesting questions over these last few years.

Why do Oasis (CDs) continue to bother making records? At which point did Bono’s (CDs) messiah complex tip the scales into full-on insanity? What will it take – apart from a few million pounds, a beautiful wife and complete creative control over his work – to make Chris Martin (CDs) ever stop moaning?

And whatever happened to The Vines (CDs)?

Back in 2002 – when the world was young and Ben Affleck (DVDs) still had a career – The Vines unleashed debut album Highly Evolved (CD), a sparkling collection of post-Nirvana (CDs) tunesmithery that mixed insanely hummable melodies with the tortured yelps of frontman Craig Nicholls (someone who managed to stand out from the rock crowd of the moment by being… what’s the word… interesting).

This was heralded by the NME as being the first flush of something called the ‘New Rock Revolution’. And – as is the case with all first flushes – the U-bend eventually gurgled it’s last. Within the space of three years, The Strokes (CDs) have gone from apparent vitality to style-over-substance nonentities. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (CDs) produced an enjoyably spiky Mary-Chain-lite little collection before disappearing squarely up their own arses. Anyone seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (CDs) recently? No? Us neither.

Two bands, however, didn’t so much fade away as implode spectacularly. The Libertines (CDs)… well, you already know what happened to them.

Then we have The Vines. They splurged back briefly in 2004 with Winning Days (CD), a decent-enough follow-up that bizarrely received hideous reviews (even from the normally sycophantic NME). hecklerspray remains baffled by this reception and still gives the album the odd spin every now and then.

Even worse was to follow. Nicholls – already a troubled guy – soon had what was essentially an onstage breakdown and was later diagnosed with behavioural disorder Aspergers Syndrome.

Winning Days, it had seemed, was something of an optimistic idea. The Vines announced that it was highly unlikely they would ever tour again, and that recording new material was similarly out of the question.

And now they’re back.

Drummer Hamish Rosser has stepped out of the shadows and assured fans that a third album is on the way which will apparently incorporate a  ’spacey ballad style‘ as well as ‘balls out rockers‘. Not exactly re-inventing the wheel, then … but exactly the kind of stuff that made people like The Vines in the first place.

Any other under-rated bands feel like a sudden comeback? hecklerspray has got a sudden hankering for a My Bloody Valentine (CDs) reformation…

[story by C J Davies]