Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

They shook up the UK and US Charts with a series of catchy singles, toured both sides of the Atlantic, fronted an Apple iPod ad campaign and brought infectious, zesty indie to a generation in desperate need of a little re-charging. So why did it go so terribly wrong for The Fratellis?

Costello Music, released in 2006, marked the arrival of the band and charted at #2 in the UK. Spawning singles 'Henrietta', Whistle for the Choir', 'Creepin' up the Backstairs' and the instant anthem, 'Chelsea Dagger', The Fratellis became one of the UK's most exciting new bands of recent years, almost overnight.

With NME naming them 'The Best New Band in Britain' in late 2006 and snapping up a Brit Award for 'Best Breakthrough Act' in 2007, it looked like they would enjoy a long and lucrative career.

A support slot for Kasabian showcased their live performances and prominent festival appearances followed. The band easily transferred their energetic, infectious indie-pop from CD to thousands of ears. The audiences loved it, cementing their status as a 'must see' live act.

When the Glasgow trio retired to the studio to start work on album No 2, no-one was particularly worried. On a roll, big things were expected from the follow up to their debut.

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

'Mistress Mabel' was the first taste of things to come, and although it lacked the zest of its predecessors, it gained significant airplay and reached #23 in the chart.

Here We Stand was released in June 2009 to lukewarm reviews in both the UK and the US. Despite this it reached #5 in the UK, and the band played sold out shows in New York, Los Angeles and Boston.

'Look out Sunshine' was the next single from the album and despite regular airplay, it failed to cause any damage to the charts, while next release 'A Heady Tale' failed to chart altogether.

The Fratellis went on a mini-tour of Japan and Australia following the album's release, and announced they would be taking a break when the tour was complete. No date was confirmed for album No 3, and after headlining Hop Farm Festival in July, they went quiet.

The band's 'indefinite hiatus' fooled no-one and shock was in short supply when they announced their split earlier this year.

Yet another promising young band falling at the second hurdle. The Fratellis, it seems, were struck by 'The Curse of the Second Album', an ailment which can strike down even the most successful bands without warning.

There have been notable exceptions in recent years: The View recovered from the disaster of Which Bitch? recently, while Babyshambles survived a shaky, rough debut and went on to produce the fantastic Shotter's Nation (trust Pete Doherty to do things in reverse).

Perhaps The Fratellis gave up too soon and weren’t strong enough to survive a half-hearted second half. Or maybe their infectious indie was catchy, but not lasting.

A reunion isn’t completely off the cards - the band members are still making music, just not together. Jon went on to form The Codeine Velvet Club with the divine Lou Hickey, with whom he released an album and completed a tour before announcing he was going solo earlier this year. Barry has plans to make music - currently on hold due to the birth of his first child. Mince joined a heavy metal band, Throne o'Diablo.

The Fratellis may be over for now, but who knows what the future holds? They might just be holding off till Here We Stand has faded into oblivion, or at least into the half-price bargain bin.