The Cobra and The Canary

I’m adding to my original review from 12/14/22 because I’ve been wearing this nearly steadily since then, interspersed with a handful of other fragrances that just don’t compare. In my last review I said I’d only use a couple of sprays under the shirt, but I’ve changed my opinion on that. I’m now going 4-5 sprays because the sillage is rather close and becomes even tighter over the first 30 mins. The top of this fragrance will absolutely scare the fu3k out of some people for sure with the firework hurricane napalm Armageddon of leather and muted citrus, but it’s so sO SO short lived. The unfolding of this fragrance is what makes it so special. I’ve smelled hundreds of frags like most of you I’m sure, and this is just so incredibly good. For me, most fragrances turn bad into the deep drydown (if they are complex enough to the extent that the top, mid and bottom are different). For example, something even as “basic” as Montblanc Explorer, which has some nice citrus and fruits transforms into an ambroxan cruise missile in the deep drydown—not at all nuanced. There are many frags that exhibit this trait. Another example—I absolutely love Slow Explosions by IA as well, but only for the top and mid. The drydown for me digs a tunnel to hyperdust powder rose sh1tville that I just can’t bear. In fact, I sometimes spray Slow Explosions onto my forearm and then wash it off after two hours cause it’s so gross. My point is, even within IA’s line I think Josh Meyer can get it really wrong. But Cobra is so perfect in the way it mellows and burns in. This fragrance I feel “fuses” with my body almost like this is what I would smell like if my body secreted fragrance (wow that sounds disgusting). The subtle vanillic, barely sweet, round leather that it turns into after only an hour is so cot dang great. I love it so much for its subtlety, which if you don’t give this frag a chance you would never know it would exhibit. Also, as long as I don’t go around anyone for the first 15 mins after spraying, I realize I can’t overspray this because it mellows so quickly. I went from sample, to travel, and now to full bottle. This one stands in its own protected wilderness atop the highest peak. Also, I really enjoy wearing this in combination with woody scents (think Orage by LV) or a more linear bergamot because they all compliment each other I feel. If you made it through all my bullsh1t, I applaud you. If you have a bottle of this you don’t like, I will 100% buy it from you.

His window's already passed, so he's shooting at the glass Keeping guns in his locker, and he denies it Like it's actually important, but he lied 'cause I sure did watch him Showing up wearing black, and he knows that His daddy's on death row, but he'll say it with his chest, though His friends move dope, he hasn't tried coke But he's always had a problem saying no His older brother bagged the valedictorian His mother, steady, screaming he should be more like him Can you read my mind? I've been watching you (You know it, you know it, you know it's true) Couldn't fight to save your life, but you look so cool Camo' jacket, robbing corner stores Hard odds to beat when you're on all fours Good men die too, oh, I'd rather be with you, you, you I owe you a black eye and two kisses Tell me when you wanna come and get 'em I only want him if he says it first to me I wanna, uh, him in the back of his mom's Mercury He looks like he works with his hands, and smells like Marlboro Reds It makes me so, uh, and I can't get enough of it Something's been feeling weird lately There's just something about you, baby (there's just something about you, baby) Maybe I'll just be crazy (I'll be crazy) And piss him off 'til he hates me Low slung bad bitch, baby, come and get you some Can you read my mind? I've been watching you Couldn't fight to save your life, but you look so cool (You know it, you know it, you know, oh) Camo' jacket, robbing corner stores Hard odds to beat when you're on all fours Good men die too, so I'd rather be with you, you, you I'd rather be with you, oh Oh, I'd rather be with you, oh 'Cause good men die too, so I'd rather be with you

You've taken a break from your job on the farm to recline on a bale of hay. Manual labor is hard work, and the proof is in the blisters on your rough hands. Thankfully, your wife slipped a tin of her family recipe's skin balm into your pocket on your way out of the house this morning. As usual, a thorough application of the creamy orris butter ointment does the trick. You throw your dusty leather jacket over your face and close your eyes for a brief moment of respite, daydreaming about coming home to fresh-squeezed lemonade and a warm embrace. She always makes lemonade the way you like; never too much sugar. Finally, a fragrance by Imaginary Authors that works for me! All of the others I've tried so far have smelled far too synthetic. The Cobra & The Canary's opening is a harsh blast that makes me do a double-take -- acrid leather and a bright splash of lemon announce themselves loudly. Don't be intimidated by these top notes, however. The Cobra and The Canary settles down beautifully on my skin with orris taking center stage. This perfume smartly balances the supple, buttery, earthy qualities of orris root with the warm, dry, and bucolic facets of hay. These star players rest upon a leather base with a faint whiff of bitter lemon rind occasionally appearing in the margins of my perception. Decent longevity (~8-10 hours), unique composition, and intimate-to-modest projection for a very reasonable price. What a pleasure to find an orris-forward fragrance that showcases this delightful note without leaning on the assistance of florals or vanilla. Love this one.

As this is my first review ever i have no weird terminology to use. But i wanna start reviewing every fragrance i either own or have decant of, and the first in line is this creation. I bought the sample set from IA with all of the most recommended scents, and this was the only one who stood out in a positive way. I had read a bunch about the brand and i really liked the idea of using scents to kind of tell a story in a way. When i first sprayed it on skin i got a big whiff of a harsh leather and citrus combo, and i was really let down by it. After about a minute the harshness disappeared completely and the leather got dark and a weird kind of sweet. I couldnt really smell the "Hay" note at first, but after a while it started reminding me of my second cousins barn. As i do like most weird fragrances i own, i thought this would be another one i enjoyed the smell of but couldnt really wear with other people. I decided to try it out anyways and weirdly enough i got alot of compliments from this one. As this is very different from all other scents popular in my area im actually gonna start using this as a to-go scent daily for a while. It lasts about 8 hours, but i usually respray it anyways since the base-notes that remains after 8 hours isnt exciting enough. The midpart is where this fragrance actually shines. Will not recommend this as a blind buy. I am not convinced the compliments was because its really great, but they might be because i wear alot of weird scents, and they want me to spray more wearable scents. Sorry for bad english

I'm back and forth with Imaginary Authors. There are a handful of stinkers, there are some perfumes that have such potential but then there's one or two notes that ruin the composition (*cough* strawberry in Cape Heartache *cough*), and there's a couple gems that make the whole line worth it. The Cobra and The Canary is a gem, and I love it a lot. It's unconventional, obviously, and probably challenging at first sniff. It's okay, give it a minute to settle down and it'll smooth out a bit. I encourage you to approach this one as an experience rather than just an accessory--something for yourself rather than for others. It smells like asphalt and leather car seats on a hot day with lemon and hay to round it out (and a floral note or two lurking far off). It never dried down into anything sweet for me, and instead the lemon and hay became more prominent with the other notes still flirting in the background. Anyway. Never has a perfume made me feel like such a badass. So here's what you do, what you HAVE to do if you have this perfume: On a miserably hot summer day, don your favorite sunglasses, your favorite t-shirt, a couple sprays of Cobra and go for a drive down a pretty road with whatever music makes you feel cool. Bonus points if you stop into some shitty bar for an afternoon beer. The Cobra and The Canary isn't trying to be a daily driver--it's a once-in-a-while perfume (as a special treat).