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Courtney Barnett – “Small Talk”

BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 24: Courtney Barnett performs during Splendour in the Grass 2016 on July 24, 2016 in Byron Bay, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Coming up on six months since the release of her latest album, this May’s Tell Me How You Really FeelCourtney Barnett has released a new track titled “Small Talk.” It’s a pleasantly loose, live-sounding recording that more or less reenacts the experience of feeling trapped in a benign conversation while waiting for the person you actually wanted to talk to: “I love very much being here with you / But you see, all this small talk is killing me.”

“Small Talk” appears on the upcoming box set compilation 10 Years of Mom + Pop, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the New York City-based label. The full complication, including cover songs, rarities, and “greatest hits” from a number of roster artists, is out November 23. (“Small Talk” appears in the “rarities” portion of the collection.)

Barnett recently embarked on two months’ worth of tour dates in the U.S. and Europe; she played San Diego last night, and she’ll be in Los Angeles tomorrow. Coming up on October 22, she’ll appear at a concert celebrating the 10 Years of Mom + Pop release in Brooklyn, alongside Sleigh Bells, Tom Morello, Neon Indian, and more.

See all of Barnett’s tour upcoming dates here, revisit Spin’s May cover story, “Courtney Barnett Is Feeling Just Fine,” and listen to “Small Talk” below.