As the opening track on Chris Stamey’s latest studio outing, Euphoria, “Universe-sized Arms” is a clear statement of intent for the rest of the record. The album ties into Stamey’s long legacy as a musician for many reasons, not the least of which is the guitar he plays on the songs: “I found these songs inside the same dilapidated old Silvertone lipstick guitar that I’d written my first records on. Maybe that’s why it sounds a bit like those records in some ways.” Dilapidated or not, there’s definitely verve in Euphoria, and in particular “Universe-sized Arms”, an unreleased Ryan Adams track given to Stamey by the man himself.
Stamey tells PopMatters a bit about the tune, “Ryan Adams sent this to me without footnotes, so I can’t speak to his lyrical intent. To me, it’s about meeting a lover for the first time, that sense of being completed and enveloped by another person, with everything happening in double time. I like that it reminds me both of ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ by Syd’s Pink Floyd and a lost Psychedelic Furs track, especially with Mitch Easter’s ringing guitar colors. I added the strings and horns to make it a bit more like ‘Live and Let Die'”.
Euphoria is out on 2 June via Yep Roc. “Universe-sized Arms” is available as an instant download when you pre-order Euphoria on iTunes.