San Francisco-based Nick Schott’s new track “Empathic Hunter” begins fairly unassumingly, with a tight funk-tinged rock arsenal. The chorus, though – both in its first entry at 01:01 and second at 02:34 – showcases a very impressive form of infectious songwriting, in a no-frills mode that relies on melodic charm and raw vocal passion. The approach reminds of a more guitar-led vein of sophisti-pop, a la Danny Wilson. This is an impressive and very catchy effort from Schott, who is joined by drummer Stephen Cabebe, bassist Ian Earley, and keyboardist Francis Salamanca.
