“At a party on Paris’ rive gauche, a woman’s fur coat is lifted from her bare shoulders, exposing her neck to the candlelight. Aware of many eyes upon her, she pauses, smiling to herself, before emerging like a conqueror from the shadows.”
Oh Mr. Malle, how I love your tendency to wax lyrical about nonsense! The writer in me loves the imagery you draw, and the consumer in me wishes you wouldn't. The mention of paris, and the risque exposure of the skin of the neck in the candlelight is a striking, if slightly cliche, image. However, it makes little sense in the context of the scent. And unlike with Dans Tes Bras, and with Musc Ravageur, where I found myself in grudging agreement with the branding, in the case of Music For a While (hereafter, MFaW), I find it fairly odd, and unfitting.
That is not to say that MFaW is a bad fragrance, it isn't. Far from it, in fact. It's just that reading the PR drivel, one would imagine a sensual, femme-fatale experience to come from the atomizer. Instead what's found is a playful departure from the usually serious, "buttoned up" fragrances that come from the house of Malle. One thing is certain, though. I have never smelled anything like this, and that is, perhaps, why it took so long for me to pen a review of something I loved from the first spray.
MFaW opens up with the first of many surprises bottled by Carlos Benaim, in a shockingly acerbic burst of pineapple. It is very odd to find pineapple in anything from Malle, considering their penchant for sobriety, but here it stands in all of it's glory, tart, citric, and beautifully unripe; far more the natural fruit than the tinned variety found in most fragrances of today. Despite this, it seems almost sacrilegious that something as...well mainstream, as pineapple found its way into a Malle fragrance. I was nervous, since I expect more "high effort" perfumery than I do frivolity, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely Carlos Benaim utilized this note.
Of course, the surprises are far from over, with the pineapple being coupled with a large dose of very austere lavender, that is dry bordering on incense-esque! The stark contrast between the exuberant pineapple and the far more restrained lavender makes for a combination unlike any other I have smelled. And quite frankly it works excellently!
As the fragrance progresses to the mid, the pineapple changes character and becomes deeper, denser and much sweeter, while still retaining a touch of the earlier acidity, while the lavender goes from more floral, to slightly vegetal. It is here we find the third of many surprises, in the addition of what is a burnt sugar/caramel note finding it's way into the mix. The way they meld, however, is absolutely gorgeous! It veers into a territory just shy of gourmand, evoking the image of a dark, almost burnt caramelized pineapple, with a lavender glaze. The fragrance here, takes on the more masculine character that it retains to the very end, while still maintaining its less-than-serious demeanor.
And as we approach the drydown, there is yet another surprise waiting in the wings, where fragrance seems to take on a completely different character in the later hours of the wearing. The delectable, almost gourmand fragrance, is joined by a rich patchouli and warm vanilla, each playing off the other to give it a rough, yet well rounded finale. The patchouli is similar to that used in Monsieur, however far less potent, playing more into the chocolatey and vanillic aspects than the dry and boozy patchouli of Monsieur. This cuts through the brightness of the earlier melange in an elegant way, taking it from borderline gourmand, to what I can only describe as a sweet fougere. An odd but fitting end, to an odd olfactory experience.
MFaW is truly a unique wearing experience, and one that I have enjoyed thoroughly! It is a very confusing scent, veering between exceedingly masculine (bordering on macho) and delicately gourmand, seemingly at random. It has me hooked in a way I rarely find myself, wherein I go back to it time and again, to experience the multitudes found within. And as someone who isn't the biggest fan of fougeres, this is a shock in and of itself.
Would I recommend you blind buy this fragrance? Absolutely not. It is brilliant yes, and it garners compliments yes, but hardly a safe blind buy. Despite it's apparently whimsical nature, it still has the fundamentally complex core that makes Malle fragrances what they are, which can be challenging for the inexperienced nose.
And for those that care:
This is a strong fragrance! The sillage and longevity are both stellar bordering on obscene. 10/10 on that front for me, your mileage may vary though.
Top Notes 
Pineapple
Bergamot
Lemon
Mandarin orange
Heart Notes 
Lavender
Base Notes 
Patchouli
Amber
Labdanum
Vanilla
KimJong
SpecialSauce
BoBoChamp
Clelly
AndreiLaowai
Katzevogel
Noureddine
MrLawman
Emorandeira
Lasagne
