A swooning sea of vocals introduces Magic Silver White to the world. It’s a brief but tellingly ethereal start as each wave rises then folds into the layer that preceded it. Encircled by a shimmering synth chord, the tide eventually breaks with an impeccably light drum loop that heralds the arrival of a band proper.

Led by sound designer/composer Jojo Petrina, the Melbourne quintet is a supergroup of sorts, featuring Cornel Wilczek (Qua), Monica Sonand (Mononoke, Oliver Mann), Mat Watson (Mountains in the Sky) and Biddy Connor (Sailor Days, Kes Band, Laura Jean). What’s less clear is the role each played on this recording, which unfurls in a fairly minimal fashion: a simple, repetitive bassline joins the drums and remains for the rest of the song, while a climbing synth arpeggio is the only other addition. Instead of harmonic shifts, the song relies heavily on layered voices to define its sections – from the disarming sweep of “oh-oh-oh-uh-uh-ah-ah” to the stunning sequence that the song begins and ends on. Lyrics are spare, and as instrumental electronica goes, ‘Knew That I Loved You’ admirably avoids many of the “retired hipster chill” traps of its Melbourne contemporaries.

While the emphasis on tiered she-vox, repetition and general cosmic overtones will trigger inevitable comparisons to Stereolab – or their Krautrock forebears - Magic Silver White are marked by a sparser arrangement, and a drier, perhaps even more clinical progression. As the tune lumbers forward, adding and shedding voices, it courses through whimsical, charmed territory. It doesn’t have much to say, and yet it could be saying so much – which makes it, simply, an excellent feel-good pop song.

by Babette Gladney