Big Feelings in “Big Lucky”: Peter McPoland Finds His Voice
Photo via Instagram
Peter McPoland’s new album Big Lucky feels like the kind of project an artist makes when they finally sit down with themselves. After building traction with earlier releases like Piggy and Friend, McPoland has taken a step back from the highly produced indie-pop sound and leaned into something stripped-down, and way more intimate. He recorded the album completely on his own in his room using a reel-to-reel tape machine, and you can actually hear that aspect- the tape hiss, vocal cracks, slightly messy guitar chords- tied into the songs. Instead of feeling sloppy, those small details make Big Lucky sound alive and more real.
The album’s name comes from a four-leaf clover McPoland has carried with him, and that symbol of luck and nostalgia sets the tone for the whole record. These songs hold memories, sometimes painful, sometimes sweet. Big Lucky feels like it’s about being young and in-between. There’s love and heartbreak here, but also self-doubt, weird humor, and little tinges of wonder that make the whole thing feel very human.
The project opens with “Intro”, a 27 second instrumental introduction to the album. It features raw guitar chords, a slight background harmony, and a voice memo of McPoland talking. This transitions into “The Song”, which is filled with punchy drumlines and guitar that accompanies the newly energetic tone. This is another that has no words, just chants of “oh”s and “hey”s which works perfectly. “Look It’s Your Boyfriend!” is a total gear shift, bringing awkward energy and that hopefulness of love into something that sounds like being a teenager with a crush again, when everything feels embarrassing and important at the same time. Then there’s “I Love The Animals,” which tells a tale about McPoland’s magic as a child going to the zoo, which he seemed to have loved as a child.
Digging deeper into the aspect of relationships, “What Do You Do To Me?” details an emotional vulnerability and confusion that he has a tie to. The repeated line “What do you do to me? You make me want to die” has a way of drawing that line between the tension of wanting to be with someone and the alterations that person can cause to your body and soul. Jumping forwards a bit, “Last Looks,” one of the pre-released singles, was a perfect little peek into the album. It’s reflective without being too sentimental, letting the listeners see McPoland’s headspace as he replays moments that are gone but not forgotten. On the other end of the spectrum, “Rats” is one of the most striking songs here, raw and urgent. The harmonies built as McPoland sings about ‘rats’, which could be compared to his own mind and the feeling of being surrounded by something. It’s one of those tracks that hits you harder because it doesn’t try to be neat.
Photo via Instagram
Listening through the whole 16 tracks, it is apparent how committed McPoland is to mood. A lot of the songs lean on minimal instrumentation- acoustic guitar, layered vocals, subtle background textures- and that makes the moments of intensity stand out more. The album is long, and there are sections that blur together a bit, but that also feels like part of the point. Big Lucky is not chasing radio singles; it’s building an atmosphere, and the repetition of lines and feelings makes you sink deeper into it.
What makes the album especially interesting is how personal the process behind it was. McPoland stepped back from social media, downgraded to a flip phone, and tried to carve out a little space where he could create without distraction. That decision comes through in the music and it feels unhurried, unpolished in the best way, and true to his own rhythm and his own style rather than anyone else’s expectations.
In the end, Big Lucky feels like someone’s journal set to music. It’s messy, vulnerable, and sometimes even a little awkward, but that’s exactly why it works. McPoland doesn’t try to sound larger than life or larger than himself; instead, he reminds us that the most powerful records often come from someone being honest with themselves. For anyone who’s ever been caught between nostalgia and uncertainty, Big Lucky is worth sitting with and lending your heart to.
