Of the many great musicians and poets to issue forth from the golden age of rock, perhaps none is more singularly self-possessed than Tom Waits, whose lyrical genius and mercurially guttural style made him intensely influential amongst his peers and the many generations who have followed. His track Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis tells the somber, bittersweet tale of a woman beaten down by life, circumstance, and addiction, caught up in reminiscence and the fantasy of what might have been. We never learn her ultimate fate and are instead given only a small window into her life and the fact that she's imprisoned for the crime of selling her body to raise money to live and to feed her terrible habit.

Minneapolis 5.3 is the scent of heartbreaking fantasy, the perfume of someone who, no matter what else may come, still dares to hope and to dream of a better future. Sparkling, wistful aldehydes and fizzing cinnamon and clove blend seamlessly with classic, elegant orange flower and lily of the valley, hauntingly beautiful in their lush splendor. Orris, ylang ylang, and rose drift through the composition, echoing the bluesy piano refrain that makes Waits' recording so unforgettable. Beneath this floral opulence linger notes of soft suede, whispering throughout the melody, as well as the easy, charming creaminess of sandalwood, interspersed with shots of vanilla and oakmoss. Last, but certainly not least, the damp, melancholy character of a rare and unique patchouli, never more than a flickering fancy, but present nonetheless. A sumptuous ode to the grand perfumery works of the Golden Age, Minneapolis 5.3 is the very distillation of poignant wistfulness. A bittersweet symphony.

Minneapolis 5.3 was composed by Spyros Drosopoulos.

50 ml, Made in USA from domestic and imported components.

Ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Fragrance (Parfum), Aqua (Water), Alpha Iso Methyl Ionone, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Eugenol, Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract, Linalool, Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Farnesol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol