Spider

After listening to this disc, all we can say is Marissa Nadler and Joanna Newsom better watch their backs. If there is any justice in the world, the throngs of bearded and bead encrusted modern free folk freaks and forest maidens that make up the new weird underground will bow down before Jane Herships, the woman who is Spider. A softly strummed dreamy acoustic world of drifting shimmering loveliness. If Devendra Banhart is homecoming king at this year's forestfolk ball, well then Spider would absolutely have to be everyone's choice for queen. The Way To Bitter Lake is a blissful blend of Iron & Wine, Vashti Bunyan, Will Oldham, Cat Power, Edith Frost. Hushed vocals over lilting old timey folk, gorgeous and timeless melodies, spare arrangements, but so deftly arranged as to be more powerful than almost any of her contemporaries. There is definitely a serious Iron & Wine vibe going on, Herships sounds like Sam Beam's long lost twin sister. Even her turns of phrase and choice of melodies. The mind boggles at the possibility of those two making a record together. If either of them are reading this, for god's sake let's make it happen!!
Regardless, this is an absolute gem. Pastoral, and haunting, soft and shimmery, suffused with warm summer sunlight, a rambling record if there ever was one. Cool afternoon, bare feet, tall grass, clouds drifting lazily by, soft breezes, the smell of earth and leaves, wandering through a fuzzy folk dream. Absolutely gorgeous. - Aquarius records in SF

"Spider is Jane Herships' folk project. Her tunes have the quality you look for in music if you've been under the spell of artists like Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and Cowboy Junkies. Intense, poignant, delicate and somewhat dreamy, Spider's beautiful songs remind us that the strength of our thoughts and emotions might not be very noisy but can be very powerful indeed." - Deli Magazine June 06 CD of the month

A brilliantly produced and beautiful album by an exciting new voice in folk music, be it psyche or otherwise. Highly recommended album...Unless Joanna Newsom drops another brilliant album this may well be the very finest folk that New Weird America has to offer this year. - Left Hip.com

‘The Way To Bitter Lake’ has been my winter morning soundtrack, a sonic (too close for) comfort zone as I do the daily early morning trundle up the District Line, Spider songs whispering in my ears. It’s a treasure of a record, a glimmering campfire of sound to keep the darkness at bay. - Kitten Painting.co.uk

"...Think Sam Beam meets Vashti Bunyan; hushed, comforting,
and ultimately, beautiful and calming. In other words, just what I needed."
- gorillavsbear.blogspot

"...The muted singing and sparse, delicate guitar strumming also remind
me of Will Oldham's Master and Everyone, perhaps even early Edith
Frost or Chan Marshall's records prior to Moon Pix..."
- threeimaginarygirls.com