This is my starting point with Darren Alan perfumes. I have immense respect for the DIY/Punk artistic attitudes of Indy perfume makers, I really do. It might not always seem that way because I don't even view these perfumes in the same reference frame as 'trained' or 'proper' perfumers work. That seems, snobby, gatekeepery even but it's largely true. There's levels to everything in life and the pro's are pro's for a reason. Anyway, I approach this set with an open mind and the title of this immediately evoked what I thought it would be about, not a bad thing. So it's a petrichor fragrance which usually involves the requisite materials like mushroom alcohols, perhaps patchouli and almost certainly geosmin. So I was expecting something heavy handed and glum, gloomy. Largely you do get that earthy, moist air, a very natural smell and something we can all somewhat relate to, but no perfume I've tried captures it well, it's a perfume after all maybe I have unrealistic expectations? I mean geosmin is an incredible material but is extremely powerful and difficult to incorporate into accords and compositions, but here I think Darren Alan has done a pretty fine job of it. (if indeed that's what he's used, as I mentioned some alternatives can create a similar effect) The main reason being that he has brought this floral accord into the mix which you can smell in the background throughout and I think that gives this perfume more of a story than simply representing AFTER RAIN, it adds to the context and naturalism, it's not just the soil reacting to the rain but everything else. The problem is....I don't want to wear perfumes like this. Okay sometimes maybe but they're just not my bag and it's hard to get excited about post thunderstorm, mineral, wet soil shit yano? Credit where it's due this could've had way less thought put in and a much more hamfisted approach but it was pleasantly surprising.