“Small Talk” is a 2010 song by the band Faded Paper Figures. They have a bunch of much newer material you should definitely check out, including their 2015 EP “Remnants” which you can find here: https://fadedpaperfigures.bandcamp.com/
I zeroed in on this song since it is one of the few songs out there that seem to hit all the receptors in my brain in a good way.
It starts off at the very beginning with a synthesizer that almost sounds like a signal for something (Hey FPF, can I get that as a ring tone?). This signal courses through the background of much of the song. You know its there but it doesn’t disrupt in any way.
There are two contrasts here also which also feed the brain. The first is the vocals which alternate between R. John Williams and Heather Alden–this has a nice back and forth to it before they merge toward the end.
The second contrast is between instruments. FPF’s bass line and drums runs throughout providing a steady groove, but there is alteration between the use of synth and guitar, which also combine at the end.
Why write about it? Everything above and a head bopping groove is friggin ear candy for my soul. This all synthesizes into an end-to-end complete song, which is why we’re here. The song goes a little short of 4 minutes, which is all you need unless you’re trying to produce something epic (which 9 times out of 10 isn’t epic).
I’m admittedly 5 years late to the game with Faded Paper Figures, but I’m in now.