In recent years I have been dependent on “the algorithm” to suggest bands and music I’d like. To be fair Youtube Music and Apple Music do a bloody good job of it. I’m not sure how the algorithm works but I suspect it looks at what you like, looks at what other people who like the music you like listen to, then shoves a whole list of stuff you’ve probably never heard of in your face. This is, of course, dependent on a few things: –
- Having musical friends who stick to the same music streaming service
- Liking songs
- having ears
- your friends, or your friend's friends liking the same or similar style or class of music as you
Happily I am not on Spotty Fie for…reasons <insert suspicous monkey gif>…but sadly I only have about 4 friends on Apple Music so sometimes it gets a bit too repetitive (one of my Apple Music friends is really into dark wave so it’s quite nice to get stuff suggested by the algorithm that I might never dare to listen to normally) if you want to add me you can here – https://music.apple.com/profile/stegzy
Anyway, Shearwater is one of the bands that were dangled in front of my ears a couple of years ago. At the time I was trying to be smooth in a typical childless middle aged GenXer way and trying my best to stay relevant to the scenes around me. Quite often the algorithm will throw up stuff based on style or genre and I guess my, at the time, penchant for downbeat psychedelic hipster music was at its peak and so Shearwater surfaced.
I’d originally downloaded their album Jet Plane and Oxbow (2016), after seeing the band play their song Backchannels on the KEXP Youtube channel. I loved their style; tight, percussive and lyrically intelligent. As a result of a few listens Apple Music then threw Dread Sovereign from Animal Joy (2012) at me. Why hadn’t I heard them before? I wondered. Probably because I’d not ticked the right algo boxes.
Tight, haunting and well…just like a sheet of paper with fountain pen written words being inserted into your head. Shearwater are one of those bands I really need to pay more attention to.
Stegzy's Music Project
Animal Joy – Shearwater [#678]
by stegzy on August 15, 2026In recent years I have been dependent on “the algorithm” to suggest bands and music I’d like. To be fair Youtube Music and Apple Music do a bloody good job of it. I’m not sure how the algorithm works but I suspect it looks at what you like, looks at what other people who like the music you like listen to, then shoves a whole list of stuff you’ve probably never heard of in your face. This is, of course, dependent on a few things: –
Happily I am not on Spotty Fie for…reasons <insert suspicous monkey gif>…but sadly I only have about 4 friends on Apple Music so sometimes it gets a bit too repetitive (one of my Apple Music friends is really into dark wave so it’s quite nice to get stuff suggested by the algorithm that I might never dare to listen to normally) if you want to add me you can here – https://music.apple.com/profile/stegzy
Anyway, Shearwater is one of the bands that were dangled in front of my ears a couple of years ago. At the time I was trying to be smooth in a typical childless middle aged GenXer way and trying my best to stay relevant to the scenes around me. Quite often the algorithm will throw up stuff based on style or genre and I guess my, at the time, penchant for downbeat psychedelic hipster music was at its peak and so Shearwater surfaced.
I’d originally downloaded their album Jet Plane and Oxbow (2016), after seeing the band play their song Backchannels on the KEXP Youtube channel. I loved their style; tight, percussive and lyrically intelligent. As a result of a few listens Apple Music then threw Dread Sovereign from Animal Joy (2012) at me. Why hadn’t I heard them before? I wondered. Probably because I’d not ticked the right algo boxes.
Tight, haunting and well…just like a sheet of paper with fountain pen written words being inserted into your head. Shearwater are one of those bands I really need to pay more attention to.
Available on Apple Music – https://music.apple.com/gb/album/animal-joy-bonus-track-version/497460455
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Posted in 2012, Indie, Rock, Shearwater, Sub Pop
Tags: commentary, Indie Rock, music algorithms, music project, Music tastes, reviews, Shearwater