THE first four bands we got to know when we started doing this column all those years ago (yawn) were: The Frank and Walters, Therapy?, The Cranberries and The Sultans. We've always kept an eye out for them over the years and followed their fortunes. The Frank and Walters turned out to be a bit of a worry though - after releasing a rather brilliant debut album, they went and did a Stone Roses on us and it's only now they're up and running again, and we're most glad to hear it.

Named after two tramps in their native Cork, Paul Linehan (vocals/bass), Niall Linehan (guitar) and Ashley Keating (drums) were first picked up by Setanta, and early stuff like Michael, Happy Busman and Fashion Crisis Hits New York marked them out to be masters of melody. Marked down as a bit eccentric due to the nature of their lyrical concerns (parochial, off beat musings on topics not normally found in the encylopaedia of rock n roll subject matter) they were twinned with fellow Cork people, The Sultans, in the early days. But once the British media finally realised they were dealing with two totally different sounding bands, that soon faded away.

It's strange to think it now but around about 1992, The Frank and Walters established an Irish record for getting "single of the week" in both the NME and Melody Maker, ahead of any other band from these shores but when the debut album, Trains, Boats and Planes arrived, it was dismissed, rather ironically, for having too many singles on, it". They had a hit with After All in 1993 (which up until Edwyn Collins, was Setanta's biggest success) and then they disappeared.

Last year there were a few mutterings that the demos for the second album were sounding great (a song called Russian, Ship getting the most attention), land when tapes of the album produced by Dave Couse (from A House) finally became available a few weeks ago, it became quite, quite clear that the band had made a really great album.

Called Grand Parade, it opens with the first single, Indian Ocean, which to the horror of all concerned entered the charts at number 89 and dropped out the next week. So what, it's a great song. Other stand out tracks include How Can I Exist, the aforementioned Russian Ship and the new single, Colours (out this week). Colours is perfect pop and it's jaunting melody line is as radio friendly as they come.

The real stand out on the album is the final track, the anthemic Landslide, where Paul Linehan, in poignant mode, sings about the band's up and downs over the years and how they're still up for it: "I gave up whistling songs/when my dreams had went and gone/ ... but I will go on walking through the night/and I will be strong and stay in this fight".

It's all wonderful stuff and it's great to see The Franks come back as strongly as this. They've matured as song writers, they're writing better lyrics and they're putting it all together splendidly. I love this band, I love this album.

PART of the reason everyone was so thrilled to see Edwyn Collins do so well is that it gave Setanta label boss, Keith Cullen, a bit more financial leeway with the other bands on his label. A House, who have now returned to the label after, as they put it, "a guided tour around the major labels" are set to release their new album (their fifth), No More Apologies, next month. The last time A House had a bit of major label bother, they came back with I Am The Greatest, so hopes run high for this one.

ALSO on the same label, the Divine Comedy has got a new single out, Alfie, off the Casanova album. Those who came in late on the Divine Comedy (all 95 per cent of you) should know that both the first two albums, Liberation and Promenade are being re released.

THERE's a gig and a half for you, as part of the In The City fest, The Frank and Walters, A House and Divine Comedy will all be playing on the same night at a Setanta special in The Olympia on Tuesday 10th September. Sorted.