From Billboard Magazine (5/4/2002):
"Sam on the Move. Sam Bisbee is currently gathering critical praise for his self-made CD, Vehicle, which is marked by clever lyrics, crisp guitar-rock instrumentation, and subtle, yet insinuating hooks." - Bill Ribas

From The New York Post (12/3/01):
"Catch Sam Bisbee... his latest, 'Vehicle,' is full of pleasant suprises." - Mary Huhn

From The Boston Globe (10/12/01):
"The right vehicle: 'Vehicle,' the new CD by Sam Bisbee, is wry and endearing, full of warm melodies and funny observations." - Hayley Kaufman

From New York Daily News (10/30/01):
"Sam Bisbee's solo debut is one of those rough little gems that is likely to get lost for a few months after its release. Then, about a year from now, after so many friends have told their friends about how great it is, those who appreciate smart, literate songwriting will agree that "Vehicle" is a gleaming sapphire of an album.

Imagining love affairs in office cubicles and nubile groupies who have just turned 18, Bisbee laces his songs with wry humor and deft melodies. While his compositions are simple, they sound timeless, taking cues from the supple romanticism of Crowded House's Neil Finn and the urbane goofiness of Fountains of Wayne.

Even with a revolving cast of guest musicians, Bisbee has managed to craft a unified vision for his songs. His duet with Leona Naess on "Miracle Car" is a standout as the two capture the madcap dialogue of an affair about to run off the road."
- Issac Guzman
back to top

From The Boston Globe -- Calendar (10/11/01):
"Critic's Tip: So you say you never heard of Sam Bisbee? Well, neither have a lot of other folks. Bisbee is a newcomer in the ron Sexsmith/Rufus Wainwright vein who writes wry pop songs that have a cerebral twist. His new album, 'Vehicle,' includes several duets with the talented Leona Naess. You can hear it in person tomorrow night at Toad" - Steve Morse
back to top

From TimeOut New York (11/6/01):
"Sam Bisbee's CD Vehicle is a charmer... This guy deserves a chance."
- Weekly Listings Pick

From THE VILLAGE VOICE (10/25/02):
"A solo performance highlighting his sweet and salty voice as well as his fine songwriting skills. Bisbee plays solid lyrical pop-rock and will surely play highlights from his new CD Vehicle, which includes some nice vocal duets with Leona Naess. He's got a cleverness in a Ron Sexsmith sort-of-way, and writes nice melodic vocal lines."
- Aber

From Amplifier Magazine (1/02):
"On 'Vehicle', Sam Bisbee accomplishes the increasingly rare feat of immediately drawing in the listener with his ironic and often achingly funny lyrics. It is likely that spending the '90s in major label development limbo has added a certain acerbic wit to Bisbee's tunes. Juicy couplets like, 'just know the smallest space you leave me / will be enough room to keep me alive' in 'Flower' and , 'out of breath from standing still / wide awake on sleeping pills' in 'Shake Me' are great examples of Bisbee's lyrical prowess. Songs about cars, suburbia and love gone badly never sounded so fresh. Oh, yeah, and the music is pretty good, too. Right from the first crisp drumbeats of 'Miracle Car' you can tell this record is the real deal. Although it is a relentlessly mid-tempo record, 'Vehicle' never feels samey. Bisbee and band have the ability to bring songs to their emotional peak with just a vocal inflection here, a keyboard patch there or a cello woven in and out of an otherwise sparse arrangement. As a pop/rock vocalist, Bisbee is not technically gifted (as, for instance, Neil Finn, whose voice Bisbee's semi-resembles) but there is a real depth and emotion to his delivery. On 'Vehicle' Bisbee's heartfelt performance is often more than believeable."
- David Gray
back to top

From Paper Magazine Online -- Calendar (11/6/01):
"We sort of like Sam Bisbee. His new album, Vehicle, is of the alt-country rock variety, which, admittedly, is a genre that's seen better days. However, when it's done well -- as it is here -- it reminds you what you liked about smoking cigarettes in public parks until three a.m., talking about what it all means with two or three of your best friends, staying up past the limits of all sense until your lungs hurt and eyes stung. That's what it reminds us of, at least. Expect the best rock show you're going to see for free tonight. Check him out at Lakeside Lounge, 162 Ave. B, (212) 529-8643. 9:30 p.m." - Daily Pick
back to top

From Magnet Magazine (1/2002):
"By mid-morning, the alert cranium needs a solid pop fix. Sam Bisbee, Vehicle, aims straight for the jugular with sets of fully realized, grandiose tuneage. (Bisbee) crafts an edgy-yet accessible, radio friendly sound that wouldn't be unwelcomed in the home of Tom Petty, the Posies or Dave Mathews." - Fred Mills, Sr. Editor, Magnet Magazine
back to top

From allmusicguide.com (9/15/01):

"AMG EXPERT REVIEW:Sam Bisbee's aptly titled sophomore effort, Vehicle, portrays an artist in motion. Bisbee creates emotionally honest songs that evoke the fiery roots rock of Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellancamp, yet he renders his compositions with intoxicating arrangements, even going as far as to juggle acoustic instrumentation with contemporary electronica on a few cuts. Bisbee's rhythmic computer programming in "Shake Me," "Molecules," and "Bucket Seat" is downright soulful. That's because the songs are strong and his supporting cast is a perfect compliment to Bisbee's penchant for telling a story with melody. The duet with Leona Naess on "Miracle Car" is among the many stellar moments on this collection, blending a driving beat with atonal guitar textures and sexy wordplay between the two lovers headed down the never-ending road to romantic bliss. Bisbee is a dexterous vocalist and an accomplished songwriter whose earthy and literate compositions merit repeated listening, especially the reprise of "Miracle Car," which would have found its way into the L.A. Woman-era Doors repertoire without fail." - Tom Semioli
back to top

From nyrock.com (11/1/01):
"Sam Bisbee, Vehicle (© 2001 Terrible Records) There's an immediate emotional impact from the dozen tunes here, an intimacy, an affinity, a mix of both new and familiar, and before I start blathering on with metaphors and analogies, let's keep it simple: the disc is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Each song is easily accessible, yet sounds like no other artist in particular. The music gets into your system with all the force of a calm breeze in spring. By, say, the third track, "Cubicle Love Song," you're gushing tears of joy and sadness at the purity of it all. Instruments are layered yet balanced, dynamics are so good it's scary, the lyrics tell stories, plainly and directly, and the feeling from the first spin of the disc is that of a classic in the making. If you want to experience the emotive power of music, Bisbee has appeared as your savior - heed his words and music, and ye shall be saved. Really" - Bill Ribas, Street Beat
back to top

From New York Press -- Weekly Lisings Pick (11/14/01):
"...At the opposite end of the musical spectrum from Biohazard, but with some of the same principles, a singer/songwriter named Sam Bisbee plays this Thursday at the Living Room. Bisbee resembles Mark Greene -- the doctor from ER, not the drunken-looking man who managed to lose the mayoral race -- and his songs sound like what Dr. Mark Greene would write if he had any talent. He hits the themes of corporate disquietude, alienation and closeted pedophilia that permeate both ER and contemporary American life; I'll quote some lyrics from 'Cubicle Love Song' and you decide if you like the guy.

'Cause a cubicle love song would give us all something/We could sing along to/While we try to get through/The work our bosses are told by their bosses to tell us to do.' That's from Sam Bisbee's latest, and his first in five years, Vehicle, which he put out himself after kicking around demos for the latter part of the 90s (he also kicked around demos for the early part of the 90s with his old band, Bisbee). Luckily, in that time, Sam cobbled together an impressive list of musical colleagues (Philip Glass, Leona Naess) to assist in his efforts, and Vehicle is the fine result.

It goes without saying that this is for fans of Elliot Smith, Rufus Wainwright and all-purpose wusses everywhere. Sam Bisbee appears at the Living Room (84 Stanton St. at Allen St., 533-7235) Thursday at 10 p.m. There's no cover but there is a one-drink minimum." - Ned Vizzini
back to top

From Music Connection Magazine (9/24/01):
"'You're a slasher film; you terrify/You're a love story; you death-defy' sings Sam Bisbee. Shuffled from label to label for development deals over the past decade, Bisbee's demos piled up. He resolved never to record another. Instead, he called up some friends and made Vehicle. 'No A&R personnel within a five block radius,' chortles the singer. 'Just music. Pure and simple. For music's sake.' Vehicle is a scenic ride and an even better listen. Check out Bisbee on the questionably named Terrible Records." - Dan Kimpel, SONGWORKS
back to top

From Next Magazine (9/15/01):
"I'm going to try to predict the next big musical trend. It will either be insurgent country (on the strength of Ryan Adams and Kelly Hogan's Because It Feels Good) gorgeous pop (think Bulah or Mercury Rev), or male singer songwriters (such as Nathan Larsen, Ike Reilly, John Mayer, Tom McRae). If it is the latter, Sam Bisbee deserves a place among them. His long awaited second disc features a cool line-up of guest artists (including backing vocals by Diana Ross' ex-step daughter Leona Naess on "Miracle Car" and "I Will Wait") and terrific pop songwriting (imagine E of the Eels on mood elevators). There is the sexy "Cubicle Love Song," "Shake Me," the presence of an exotic marimba played by Peter Adams on "Flower," the catchy "Ride' Em Mover," and the wonderful combination of piano and loopy synth beats of "Bucket Seat," which make this album a vehicle for being discovered." - Gregg Shapiro
back to top

From Seven Days VT. -- (2/02):
"SAM BISBEE, VEHICLE -- Sam Bisbee wants to take you on a trip. 'Vehicle', the New York singer-songwriter's solo debut realease, offers a tour of the irreverent and serious, inane and literate, disparate and unified. The 14 pop songs on this album are full of familiar and foreign moments, and all are well worth the ride.

'Vehicle' is carried by the wonderfully wry humor in Bisbee's lyrics. In 'Cubicle Love Song,' he sings, 'I want to take you on a date to the copy room/We'll kiss by the fax machine/After-dinner drinks at the water cooler.' What impressed me is how Bisbee manages to balance quirkiness with heart, finishing the song with the hopeless yearning of the cubicle worker: 'While we try to get through the work our bosses are told by their bosses to tell us to do/To avoid losses, layoffs/We're all holding out for stock option payoffs/Or at least box seats to the playoffs/Retirement is such a long way off.'

Bisbee shows us restless suburbia, 18-year-old groupies, and the loneliness of communicating through a modem. Behind the cerebral word play, he nostalgically searches for soul in an absurd world. At the end of Vehicle, Bisbee finds simplicity to insulate himelf from coldness and irrationality. In 'Simplest of Pleasures,' he sings, 'Guess I'll have to settle for the simplest of pleasures/Merely living for you/Waking up each day next to you/Playing with your hair till you're awake, too.'

The hookless compositions on Vehicle are simple, giving them a timeless and uncharacterizable quality. The performances by the revolving cast are sharp, including musicians who play for some of the biggest names in the business -- Neil Young, Keith Richards and Tom Petty.

However, the music is really a means to complement the infectious cadences of Bisbee's earnest singing. Good pop singers can grab you with their delivery alone. Bisbee does so with his smooth rhythyms and sincere voice, and it doesn't take long before he's carrying you away.

Bisbee is refreshing in that he doesn't pander to the expectations of commercial pop radio. His love songs don't tug mercilessly at your heartstrings, and his social commentary isn't full of pedantic moralizing. Where this will take him is anyone's guess, but you can be sure to find out next week at Club Metronome." - Jason King

From Aiding & Abetting (9/30/01):
"Trippy pop with some hip-hop grooves. Not, I repeat, not trip hop. These are transcendental pop songs, stuff that deconstructs old formulas and rebuilds them according to newly discovered physical laws. They sound somewhat familiar, but there's always something weird at the center.

It's that disconcerting nucleus which really drives the songs. It's not just that Bisbee and friends sound odd. Bisbee's songwriting is almost a mosaic style, laying down shards of cliches in stunningly original ways.

And, well, it all sounds so good. The production has left a thick, but not exactly lush, sound. Just enough of an edge to properly show off these wonderful songs. The sorta sound Matthew Sweet often achieves. It's good.

The kinda album that ends before you notice. Certainly before I was ready to quit listening, anyways. These songs are immediately arresting, and there's so much going on that they should stand up for years to come. Really, really fine. " - Jon Worley
back to top

From Suite 101 -- Choice Cuts (10/01)
"The Scoop: Clever lyricism sets this album apart, hinted at even by song titles like 'Ride Em Mower' and 'Cubicle Love Song.' Bisbee hones in on the specifics of our mundane daily lives -- stock options, television shows and unwashed dishes -- and while it may not be revelation, it's certainly refreshing in a time when the radio mostly whispers sweet nothings in your ear.

Highlight Track: 'Miracle Car' bookends the album (minus a hidden bonus track), and it features the catchiest pop melody on the album. Guest vocalist Leona Naess appears only on this and one other track; it would've been nice to have her around a bit more.

Honorable Mention: 'Ride Em Mower' is a nostalgic trip for those of us who spent many summers cutting lawns, but also plays as a fantasy of children set free by a suburbia on fire. " - Adam McKibbin
back to top

From Splenid E-zine -- weekly pick (10/01):
"Sam Bisbee has been dying to make a record...and it shows. After years of recording demos, he has managed to gather together some good friends and some even better songs. With a stellar singing voice and an agile mind for lyrics, Bisbee is trying to make a name for himself as an original songwriter with something to say.

The fourteen tracks on Vehicle yield hits and misses. Some of Bisbee's compositions come off as contrived and jejune -- but given time, he more than makes up for them. Similes and metaphors make up the majority of his lyrical purview; take the first track, "Miracle Car": "You're a slasher film you terrify/ you're a love story; you death-defy/ you're a shoot-em-up; you're a cold drive-by." Bisbee continues in this vein throughout the album, obsessing about his innocently seductive muse. The apotheosis of his infatuation comes in "Simplest of Pleasures", in which he longs, like many men before him, to be all the toiletries and objects used by the woman he loves: "if only I could die in the lubriderm bottle/for the day when you squeeze me out/ into the palm of your hand/ I will vanish in your endless skin."

Sandwiched in-between the lovesick tunes are more sophisticated, Dylan-esque messages about technology, the media and plain old social commentary, as witnessed in "Sex and Drugs O-Rama" and "Molecules". Bisbee's tirades ramble, but manage to remain true to pulsing music he has written around them.

Musically, Bisbee uses a standard guitar/bass/drums rock setup, flavored with mellotrons, wurlitzers, occasional cello and the lovely backing vocals of Leona Naess to round out the accompaniment. The listener is struck by how tastefully the music is played around Bisbee, giving him room to maneuver his lyrics. Afforded this celerity, Bisbee strides through the ballad "I Will Wait" without missing a step and turns in a fine performance on "Shake Me" to the bump and grind of a programmed drum-loop.

Although Bisbee has yet to reach the dizzying heights of a Paul Westerberg or Ryan Adams, his Vehicle is definitely headed in the right direction. " - Daniel Arizona
back to top

From Mish Mash -- Indie Music Reviews (11/01)
"Quirky and offbeat while encased in a thin and fragile pop shell, Sam Bisbee's Vehicle is a beautiful little discovery. His songs are strange enough to grab your attention, yet infectious enough to keep you coming back for more. They twist and turn with delight, offering new surprises at every listen.

Bisbee offers up a variety of musical choices, from the no-nonsense sounds of Miracle Car to the scratchy drum-n-bass beats of Shake Me, which gives way to the quirky alt-country of Cubicle Love Song and the fuzzy indie-rock guitars of Ride 'Em Mower. Lyrically, he sets up punch after punch with knockout lines like "You corner like a miracle car / Everywhere I look you are" and "I want to touch you in your cubicle...I know it's not your home / but since we never get to see our homes anymore let's not waste / any more time I want to take you on a date to the copy room..."

At times, the disc reminds me of Beck with it's lo-fi leanings and left-field ramblings. Now that I think about it, this is like a brilliant lo-fi album that just happens to have been recorded with great production values. And, like a classic homemade tape, this is a release to be enjoyed and treasured.

MISH MASH Mandate: Faux Lo-Fi Delight"
back to top

From Altar Native (11/01):
"Sam Bisbee's debut "Vehicle" bears a plain-faced cover of a lone stretch of highway going nowhere. But it can also signify the road ahead. And in Bisbee's case, the later interpretation is the more appropriate one, given of the potential that Vehicle has on many levels.

This roots-rock effort succeeds where others fail, going not just for the sound, but for the mind and the ears as well. The opening "Miracle Car" starts the trek of this 14-song effort with a lazy guitar melody atop a steadfast layer of drums, with oven-warm harmonies with guest vocalist Leona Naess rising over the chorus like the morning sun, while a gradual fade-away delicately gives way to the horizon toward song's end. Bisbee's voice carries an intensity that's equally as felt whichever end of the spectrum it hits, such as in "Flower," where the highs punctuate like drum cymbals, or on "I Will Wait," which sees Bisbee bordering on Bruce Springsteen territory at times. Synthesized beats, meanwhile, add modern life to "Molecules." To offset this as being a serious album, songs like "Underage," an ode to young groupies ("Yesterday you were only 17/to touch you was an illegal dream"), and "Cubicle Love Song" ("I want to take you on a date to the copy room/we'll kiss by the fax machine/after dinner drinks at the water cooler") shed light on Bisbee's comic style. But make no joke about it: Vehicle is destined to take Sam Bisbee places." - Omar Perez
back to top

From MuzikMan (11/26):
"Sam Bisbee offers up some intelligent lyrics relating to life here in the good old U.S.A. on his latest effort "Vehicle." It's every day life with a pop-rock spin that amplifies the subject matter of each song on this album. He sounds like Tom Petty meets Bob Dylan meets The Byrds. His delivery is laid back and personal, minus the fluff. His honesty and straightforward approach in his lyrics moves the music to another level. The music is above average so everything else falls into place easily. The magical mixture is one that is modern yet true and tested. He utilizes great pop sensibilities with the authority of alternative rock to make his point in each song.

'Ride em' Mower' is as U.S.A. as mom, lemonade, and apple pie. There are some sardonic twists in Bisbee's voice that makes the innocence of the title suspect right from the start. References to gasoline suburbia are made in each chorusŠnow there is a new saying. 'Sex And Drugs O Rama' is all about how simple life was back in 2000. Yeah right, how much more complicated can life get than it is right now? Sam seems to have a genuine love for cars and what makes them go, gasoline. Or are some other messages lying beneath those lyrics festering and waiting to come out?

Bisbee has a more than enough talent to keep this modern vehicle of suburban pop and rock afloat for quite some time. He is talented enough to write, sing, play the guitar and organ, and keep it fresh and alive in each song he records. Now that is something to sit up and take notice of. Like the cover on the CD, Bisbee is on a rock and roll highway that doesn't seem to have an end, and that's a good thing. Meet Sam Bisbee, he is a friend that you haven't met yet. " - Keith Hannaleck
back to top

From In Music We Trust (12/01/01):
"Sam Bisbee's Vehicle is a punchy, melodic record with equal parts pop and rock. Bisbee isn't afraid to let loose, set the guitars ablaze, and rip into some juicy rock, nor is he afraid to tone it down, focus on melody over noise, and still manage to deliver a knockout performance. This is a tight, hook-laden record that is both musically and lyrically sound, an example of a talented songwriter in his prime, capable of more delightful albums sure to stun and astonish. I'll give this an A-." - Alex Steininger
back to top