07/06/2026
We’ve had another phenomenal review for the Late Transmissions album from Portuguese music writer Bruno Neves at
Here’s the translation below - particularly love that concluding paragraph!
“Late Transmissions starring Eve Quartermain – The Heart Wants What It Wants
This is the project that brings together David Balfe and David Hughes, two names carrying a greatdeal of history within the British alternative music scene. Both emerged from Merseyside's post-punk movement and went on to build remarkable careers. Balfe played in bands such as Big inJapan and The Teardrop Explodes before founding labels like Zoo Records (Echo & TheBunnymen) and Food Records (Blur). Hughes, meanwhile, was part of Dalek I Love You (alongsideBalfe), OMD, and later composed for film and television, including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking
Barrels and The Bachelor (which reached No. 1 in the United States).
All of this experience has been distilled into a sound that feels elegant, cinematic, and timeless.
The debut album from this project, which reunites two old friends, is The Heart Wants What ItWants. Everything here feels as though it was made to be seen rather than heard.
If, like me,you're good at imagining and creating countless scenes in your mind, you'll love this genuine immersive experience.
The record builds a deeply cinematic narrative somewhere between classic film scores, 1960s orchestral pop, pure jazz, and that noir atmosphere that inhabits so many of our imaginations.
But the true revelation is Eve Quartermain. Her voice dominates every track and stays with us long after the album has ended. It is a combination of presence and power, infused with flashes of emotion that genuinely gave me chills.
Some voices are so distinctive that the moment you hear them, you know exactly what's coming. This was one of those voices for me. There isn't a note where she falters. There isn't a song where she fades into the background. I found myself asking over and over again: "How had I never heard
this voice before?"
Across its eleven tracks, the album constructs a fragmented emotional narrative. While Lightning Never Strikes Twice ventures into trip-hop territory, I Ruin Everything opens with rain and traffic noise, as though we have already stepped into a melancholic detective film. He's An Unexploded Bomb tackles domestic violence in a striking way, while At The Starlight Lounge delivers the harshest moment on The Heart Wants What It Wants: a raw portrait of disillusionment, exploitation, and dreams collapsing within a decadent setting.
There is much more that could be said about these songs, but I'd rather encourage you to explore this carefully crafted universe for yourselves (and, of course, avoid turning this into an overly long review).
Nothing here exists by accident. Every sonic detail serves the aesthetic described above. The visual dimension of this album makes it impossible not to think of countless films — with James Bond movies coming immediately to mind, naturally. If these tracks never find their way into a soundtrack, it would be a genuine injustice. The hardest part has already been done — and done exceptionally well.
It is worth noting, however, that despite its deeply nostalgic references, this is not an album trapped in the past. It is not, by any means, only for revivalists. On the contrary, The Heart Wants What It Wants recovers something that has become increasingly rare in modern music: the idea that sophisticated pop can also be adult, theatrical, dark, and emotionally complex.”
Album on all streaming services, available to buy on cd from musicsaves.co.uk and all good independent record stores
