Kathryn Calder’s recommendation: “I love the Shins. I think James Mercer has an amazing melodic sense – so sophisticated. I love melodies that weave in and out of one another, songs that have layers upon layers of melodies and The Shins have that in spades. He also has a great, emotive voice. He writes incredible songs, and it’s a sound that I just can’t seem to get tired of. It’s hard to really convey in words why I love them so much, it’s just a feeling I get… a kind of bittersweet happiness.”

New to The Shins? Kathryn recommends you start here: “I love all three records. If I was absolutely forced to choose, I’d pick Chutes Too Narrow.”

About the guest author, Kathryn Calder: Kathryn has been making albums since she was a teenager and may be most recognizable as a member of both Immaculate Machine and The New Pornographers (for whom she plays keyboards for and handles lead vocals when Neko Case is away). Her recent release, Are You My Mother includes all-star contributions from Neko Case and Todd Fancey of The New Pornographers and captures the time that Kathryn was caring for her ailing mother. Here’s a sample track from that album:

MP3: Slip Away by Kathryn Calder