With just a brief look at the crowd, even a deaf person could tell that gig-goers were prepared for a night of sweet indie pop. Bespectacled boys sat on the stairs in their hand-me-down cardigans, watching librarian-chic girls in floral prints dresses sway on the dance floor. (Full disclosure: your correspondent was wearing a cardigan and carrying a copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and so should be wary of throwing stones in this particular glass house.)

Melbourne’s Crayon Fields are indeed purveyors of blissful indie pop, with a stronger edge than their milquetoast outfits might suggest. Indeed, the band would’ve slotted into the crowd unrecognised except by the most ardent fan. This is no small part of their appeal; that is, that they are normal people who also happen to make wonderful music.

To say that the Crayon Fields play indie pop is uncommonly accurate, drawing as they do on the effortless melody of 60s pop like the Zombies, and filtering it through indie’s awkward charm. Like the Clientele and Camera Obscura, Crayon Fields indulge their love of vintage pop without turning into a revival act. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but Crayon Fields do it with subtle elegance.

Understated on stage, lead singer and primary songwriter Geoff O’Connor makes this sophisticated pop look effortless. Of course, it helps that the entire band moves with the same grace and poise that they do on record. Brett Hudson in particular is a quiet hero, displaying a McCartney-esque knack for delicate, melodic basslines.

Live, there’s a muscular edge to the guitars and drums, adding a little more force to the tunes without overshadowing. Mirrorball in particular benefits from this, the emphasised groove boosting the school-dance atmosphere at the song’s narrative heart. First-blush-of-love song Lucky Again is more fragile, its sweetness strengthened by a touching sincerity.

Though much of the Crayon Fields’ catalogue sits in a mid-tempo languor, O’Connor’s way with melody gives each its own identity. Even the unreleased track, She’s My Hero , had an instant and memorable chorus on first listen.

Winsome verging on fey, Crayon Fields are perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, but then, tea lovers will probably find a lot to like about the band: a secret to be shared among the devoted, a secret worth knowing.