Nothing pricks like a little death
Taste the salt upon my breast
Little tears of love and pain
Tumble down into my lap again

Your love comes and surprises me
And leaves a sweet sticky memory
And we are flawless in each caress
Of every detail of all this flesh
All this flesh

Flesh, flesh, flesh, flesh

This is now raise your voice
Be brave, commit, make your choice
We're all the devil, clothed in flesh
Come on my baby
Let's make some mess

Here and now access this soul
Heal my heart and make me whole
I'm a devotee of your duress
Give me the word
And I'll strip this flesh
Strip this flesh

Flesh, flesh, flesh, flesh

Nothing pricks like a little death
Taste the salt upon my breast
Little tears of love and pain
Tumble down into my lap again
Tumble down into my lap again

(Written by Toyah Willcox/Tim Elsenburg)
 

YOU'RE A MIRACLE

Love is time made tangible
Pain is crime made visible
Touch is thought made physical
Truth is you
You're a miracle

What I get is never what I need
I am what I am
And I want you
I want you

A kiss is life made possible
Desire is sin made acceptable
A look is words made invisible
Truth is you
You're a miracle

What I get is never what I need
I am what I am
And I want you
I want you
I want you
I want you

Truth is you
You're a miracle

And I want you
And I want you
(Truth is you, you're a miracle)

And I want you
(Truth is you, you're a miracle)

And I want you
(Truth is you, you're a miracle)

I want you, I want you
I want you
And I want you
(Truth is you, you're a miracle)

(Written by Toyah Willcox/Tim Elsenburg).

Mother I want a lover
I want your son
Maybe he's 20 years too young
Maybe I'll give him
20 years more fun
Just begun his sentimental education

Mother I want flesh
Time deconstruction
Maybe undo what time has done
I'm too qualified to give up
Lie down and die
This is my
Unsentimental education

Maybe I'll free him
Maybe I'll try
I'd rather do something
I just can't reply

Here we are thinking
There's a whole world sinning
Let's begin his sentimental education

Sha la la la la la la
La la la la la - aa

Sha la la la la la la
La la la la la - aa

REPEAT ENTIRE SONG

Mother I want a lover
I want your son
I want a lover
I want more fun

 (Written by Toyah Willcox/Tim Elsenburg)
 

EXPERIENCE

Your finger nails are dirty
Your lips are dry and cracked

Hours come and go
And your eyes are still open
So I stare
And you stare back

It twists, It turns
Experience
You live, you learn
Experience

Half past eleven
And I'm still shaking
I can't smoke my cigarette

From somewhere inbetween
A whisper to a scream
I wait for you
To take a breath

It twist, It turns
Experience
You live, you learn
Experience

And God only knows
I've been around
Is it time to go home yet?

And he's a night 
I won't be putting down to

Experience
Experience

(Written by Tim Elsenburg).

Toyah Willcox - Vocals
Tim Elsenburg - Guitars / Backing Vocals
Anthony Bishop - Bass / Backing Vocals
Alistair Hamer - Drums
Jon Cotton - Keyboards

Toyah's first music release of the Millenium, in fact her first new music for over eight years, and what a way to return. This four track EP, her first EP since "Four More From Toyah" way back in 1981, is fresh, contemporary, exciting and vibrant. For a while it looked like Toyah's music career was obsolete but the long, and often frustrating, wait was worth this awesome collection.

The songs on here are like nothing Toyah has ever recorded before and each explore new directions. Title track, and opening song, "Little Tears Of Love" begins with distant, industrial type noise and Toyah's effect laden vocals begin: 'nothing pricks like a little death...', managing to somehow sound aggressive and sweet at the same time. This song is both commercial and experimental simultaneously, and builds to a huge and stunning chorus/hook built around one word - FLESH! Toyah's voice has never sounded better, and the production matches even that of the legendary Nick Tauber. "Little Tears Of Love" is without a doubt the best song Toyah has recorded for at least 14 years and already up there with her classics.

If this was released by an unknown I wouldn't be surprised to see it in the UK Top Ten.

"Mother" isn't a song by Toyah about her mum, more a plea to an anonymous mother figure that Toyah has her sights set on her son, despite the fact he is "20 years too young" This is far mellower than "Little Tears" and includes the wonderful lyric 'I'm too qualified to give up, lie down, and die'. Near the end Toyah whispers the line 'Mother I want a lover' in a voice almost identical to the one she used on "Creepy Room" 20 years ago - spooky!

Every time I listen to "You're A Miracle" the intro reminds me of one of my favourite bands from the early 90's, Neds Atomic Dustbin. This is a real 'it's great to be alive' type pop song with Toyah in fine voice and includes some great lyrics. I dare you to listen and not feel the urge to simply SMILE!

Final song "Experience" fades in with a beautiful acoustic guitar and I can't help but compare this to some of Madonna's finest acoustic ballads, especially "One More Chance". Yet again Toyah's voice sounds better than it ever has and the simple, but descriptive, lyrics and music really do compliment each other. This is the type of song you put on after a very hard day and drift away wrapped up in the voice, music and lyrics. Toyah's new songwriting partner, Tim Elsenburg, is surely a musical force to be reckoned with, they make a formidable team.

These songs make it blatantly obvious that Toyah is more musically gifted than ever before, and her voice and songwriting have matured in leaps and bounds.  She appears to have found a new zest for music and whatever muse is inspiring this, long may it continue. I have said many times that Toyah should be held in the same esteem as Kate Bush, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey et al., and with this EP she barges straight through and takes the place among these musical godesses that was always her's anyway.

It is pointless to compare this EP to any previous Toyah music as it is nothing like any of Toyah's previous music, comparisons are futile, just listen and enjoy.

With talk of a whole album of new material the Toyah music renaissance is just around the corner, join the queue!

(By David Fleming - 26th April 2002).