Sleeper Agent ‘About Last Night’

Words by Stephanie Russo

Confidence. If I got anything out of this album, it would be absolute confidence in myself. There’s nothing worse than someone who is just stuck in a rut and doesn’t know how to get the hell up out of their funk, grow a pair, and just move on! Listen to Sleeper Agent’s album About Last Night, and trust me, you’ll feel more sure of yourself than you ever have before.

Alex Kandel’s edgy, yet inspirational, voice instantly lured me in, reminding me of a younger, more punk-rockish Shania Twain. The album starts off with a super upbeat song called “Be Brave”, which brought me a subliminal wave of courage that I did not know I could feel, as if I could just get up and conquer the world.

As the album went on, I not only felt like I had a great deal of confidence, but once the track “Take It Off” came on, a sense of freedom lingered within me. I was imagining myself driving to my ex-boyfriend’s house with a head full of courage and my gut filled with rage, banging on the door, and demanding him to literally “take it off”. Everyone has that spunk hidden under the layers of shy emotions – listening to this song certainly brings it out. The lyrics “I came all the way just to see you,” indicates the journey we’re about to go on through About Last Night.

The track “Haunting Me” surprised me with its vulnerability. Here I was feeling all confident, then Alex Kandel reminds us of how its not so easy to actually move on from something you were once so attached to. This song gives the album a realistic vibe that anyone can easily relate to.

The album doesn’t really have an actual breaking point, but if I had to choose the right track that definitely brings the mood slightly down, I would say the song “Lorena”. This song had a sort of cuddly, loveable feeling. It led me to believe I was getting an inside scoop on all the “secrets and lies” that one relationship has hidden behind its perfect cover.

I really enjoyed how this album sort of played with my emotions. Most albums go from one extreme to another, however, About Last Night gradually transitions them in a disguising way, maintaining one continuous theme.

The album ends with the song “Sweetheart” which took me by surprise. I felt as if I was getting closure from not only my own personal experiences, but also the album in general. It is like I grew an attachment to her relationship timeline and now it just came to an end. Luckily, I now can grasp the confidence and courage that About Last Night led me to find. I actually had a big smile on my face after listening to this last song and experiencing Alex Kandel’s love roller coaster.