Listen: Paperwhite - "Magic"

​Built around dancing glimmers of keyboards that, fifty years ago, would have been ideally suited to a Motown A-Side (albeit in the form of a vibraphone or Telecaster), “Magic” takes the “synth” in “synth-pop” and makes it stand for “synthesis”, so thoroughly does the band set about boiling down various versions of the FM pop song into its chic, digital sheen. But what really sets “Magic” apart is the fact that Paperwhite actually seem to be investing in making Casio-toned RnB nostalgia fun, as opposed to self-serious or dour (as has been the trend).

Singer Katie Marshall finds opportunities for airy falsettos and Mariah Carey-lite mini-riffs amongst the song’s Lite Brite landscape, showcasing the band’s sturdy instinct for what this kind of sound calls for: a sense of wonder. Listen below.