Opening a Time Capsule from 2020 - “Oh My My” Review

One of leading names in TikTok-famous indie pop, Ricky Montgomery has returned with a new* song.

You may have noticed the asterisk in the last sentence because while it is new to us, this song is actually over ten years old.

Montgomery exploded to fame back in 2020, with his songs “Line Without a Hook” and “Mr Loverman.” Often paired with fan edits, small business advertisements, and aesthetic videos, these songs helped define the 202 era of TikTok. While many associate it with that year, the album they come off of, Montgomery Ricky, are all actually from 2016. Since 2020, he has released EPs like It’s 2016 Somewhere, meant to say goodbye to the era, and Rick, an album that I personally love for its evolution on the best qualities of Montgomery Ricky. 

With his previous goodbyes to the era of Montgomery Ricky, it was immensely surprising to hear his announcement of “Oh My My.” On Instagram, he has described this song as “the original version of Line Without a Hook”which he had forgotten about until last year when it was unearthed from his files. After rediscovering it, he linked up with the original producer and co-writer of Montgomery Ricky, Jon Heisserer to re-record the whole thing.

So, how is “Oh My My”? It feels like a song I’ve heard a million times and not at all, which actually makes sense I swear. “Line Without a Hook” actually pirated part of its most memorable bits from the second verse of this song. The song opens with the line “If I’m a whore / you’re a bore,” a line which threw me for a loop. The lyrics are steeped in the melancholia of the original album, transporting me mentally back to who I was when I first heard Ricky’s music. 

“I won't survive through the summer / I deserve your attention” feels like it was ripped right out of the mind of anyone who grew up in a small town. The familiar verse comes in, the production just exploding around it. Despite the overall, melancholy and frustrated lyrics, the production by Heisserer keeps the song dynamic and moving along. Despite being re-recorded, it feels right at home with the rest of the  Montgomery Ricky era, a true testament to how talented Montgomery and Heisserer are.

If you’re not ready to leave after crossing through the gates of Montgomery Ricky again, there is good news. For the tenth anniversary of the record, Ricky put out a full-album commentary of the original tracks on Youtube. He is also treating the fans to an EP with three more songs for the era called Montgomery Ricky (Plus 3) with “Oh My My,” and two other songs: “Some Kind of Man” and “Object of Desire.” This EP is available for pre-order on his site. On Instagram, he also promised that this all is just “one of many 2016 nostalgia projects” coming this year. So, I guess us Ricky Montgomery fans will be fed well this year.