"Sounds like" can actually be an excellent place to start; tho even better can be its negative: I flatter myself, and always have, that I can tell instantaneously what DOESN'T sound like.., & that is a very good place to start.

{I remember once saying this in one of my 1970s monthly Folk Review columns, which led Leon Rosselson to denounce me in the next issue as "an instamatic electronic traditional song recognition apparatus", or something of the sort. This goes with the person who addressed me recently (January this year) on another forum thread I am a regular on with the words "MGM your pedantry is legendary". Both of them obviously meant a put-down: in both cases I welcomed the intended denunciation as a valued compliment.}

~Michael~