Indie Light

Ricky Montgomery is an indie pop singer/songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles, California. He has received enormous traction for music released on TikTok. Today I’ll be reviewing his deluxe album ‘Rick(y) which was released September 29th 2023.

‘One Way Mirror’ opens with smooth and rich guitars that blend together to create a rich harmonious backdrop for Ricky’s vocals, his voice is light and yet emotionally impactful and immediately I’m drawn in by his melancholic performance. I came into this artist largely blind to his style or talent, just finding him by chance on socials, but I can now firmly say he has bags of both because this is an absolutely stellar opening number, to what I’m sure will be an amazing album. 

‘Boy Toy’ opens with some spoken dialogue that bleeds into an incredibly high energy and manic melody, which itself gives way to a more measured but still up tempo, percussive and bass heavy instrumental. I was immediately endeared to his opening track, and the superb vocal performance contained within, and while this is more bombastic and lively, it just shows additional depth and a whole other side to his voice. 

‘Truth or Dare’ slows things down again, a reverberant melody gives way to Ricky’s soulful performance, this does split the line quite well between the more melodic vocals of the first track, and the faster tempo of the second, and through that we continue to see greater range to the artist. I think the percussive beats throughout really add to this number, giving it a little more audio texture. 

‘I’m Just Joking in This Interlude (Interlude)’ has light chords rolling over some spoken dialogue, and it’s surprisingly emotional, I’m more used to these in comedy albums where its to people riffing off one another to comedic effect but this was different but nonetheless really interesting, it adds more depth and emotional significance to the album overall. 

‘In Your Pocket’ is percussive and bass heavy off the bat, building a nice, tight instrumental beat that carries your forward nicely throughout the full track. This track just has a surprising amount of energy and bounce to it, that you can help just getting caught up in it. Again though, I really need to comment on Ricky’s incredible voice, and vocal performance, it’s just so pure and vital that it adds so much to every single performance. 

‘Don’t Say That’ has a really nice energy, a nice back and forth, and a vibrant feel that really uplifts you throughout. I especially enjoyed the subtle strings throughout that really added a lot to the performance, and yet weren’t lost in the more energetic sections of the track. 

‘Eraser’ slows things down just a touch, simple guitar chords building and flowing into a more developed, complex beat, and the energy picks up, not enough that I’d say this is a fast track, but just enough to give the whole performance a forward drive, and provide a pleasing counterpoint between the energy of the instrumentals, and the more even paced and melodious vocals. 

‘We Got Married Twice (Interlude)’ is another genuinely adorable interlude, that blends silly and sweet into a wholesome personal aside, between the so far absolute top notch songs. 

‘Type A’ has just the right amount of edge and weight to it, the frenzied guitars just absolutely captivate you as a listener, and just when they might be too much, they ease into a slower section, and allow Ricky to just absolutely wow you with his voice. I especially liked the reverbed and slowed down finish, it really makes you pay attention as the track draws to a close. 

‘Paper Towel’ is a perfect combination of everything that I’ve enjoyed thus far from the artist, the melody, the softness, the sincerity and yet a vital energy throughout, and it’s for that reason that this is probably my favourite track on the album, although it was insanely hard to really select just one. 

‘Sometimes I Need to Be Alone’ really winds things down a touch as we slowly transition into the second half of this album, and coming hot on the heels of my personal highlight of this release, it easy holds up, and honestly I just kinda got lost in this song, I mean I like a song that just washes over you and fills up the space you’re in and that’s exactly what this track did. 

‘Ethan’s Song’ kicks off with rich guitars that uplift even as the emotional significance of the lyrics hit you, and yet even though they slightly temper the performance, you still feel the full weight of the performance and if you’re anything like me, then you’re absolutely engaged by the track. 

‘Black Fins’ builds slowly, a swelling sonorous melody that just fills you up to the brim before fading into the depths, especially after the last track, this one picks up the emotional threads and keeps you in the right state of mind and mood as we progress. This track came very close to being my favourite overall on the release, and it’s just because it’s so raw and deep, and it just really resonates with me as a listener. I like that just when you think it’s hit a consistent feel, you get a more percussive beat, and it just kicks up a notch.

‘Ribbons (Outro)’ is another nice little anecdote from Ricky’s mom, and even though it’s a much quicker little bit, it was still really interesting. I know some people skip these little bits but I strongly suggest you don’t in this case because they’re all worth checking out. 

‘Here Comes the Moon’ is another track that you can just get lost in, the melody, the lyrics, the vocals, everything about it is not only amazing, but they just captivate you and don’t let go until the last possible second. 

‘Penny Come Home’ is energetic after a few slower, more emotional scenes, and it really brings you back up again. I’ll admit I’m on record on more than one occasion for saying I do prefer the slower, the softer, and even the sadder tracks on a release, but even I have to admit that tracks like this liven things up again, and of course provide a much needed balance to keep an album from sounding stale or repetitive. 

‘It’s Ok to Cry’ keeps with the balance I discussed a moment ago, a softer note to it, but yet a forward drive and melodic momentum that gives it more potency overall.

‘Sorry for Me’ is incredible, I’ve obviously enjoyed the full album so far, and doubt I’ll be let down in the last few tracks, each song has just been so well conceived and performed, this one though has just such a visual and evocative narrative throughout, and you cannot help but get drawn in.

‘Talk to You’ has a funkier beat off the bat, and again even as we close out this release Ricky is still showing new sides to his performing and music. I really enjoyed this track, and in particular the addition of a new voice for the repeating chorus towards the end. 

‘Settle Down’ much like what I said about ‘Paper Towel’ above, this just combines everything I’ve come to love about Ricky’s music throughout the album, except this is balanced slightly on the more high energy side of the scale. Truly though, it’s a punch and engaging number that’ll stick in the back of my head for months.

‘Same Shit (Interlude)’ is the first truly musical interlude, and while it has less charm than the others it’s nonetheless a pleasing musical aside as we approach the final two tracks. 

‘Reptilia’ has some of the most soulful and perfect vocals, in an album absolutely brimming with standout performances. This track has such a unique melody and structure, it’s not really like any other track on this release and yet it’s rich in exactly what makes Ricky such an incredible artist.

‘Unknown Phantom’ closes things out nicely, softer and more melodic, a nice sweet spot, and clearly he excels at that type of performing. And just as I predicted up top, this has been an amazing album, and I’m grateful for every single second I spent on it. 

So that’s what I thought of Ricky Montgomery’s deluxe album ‘Rick(y) and you can check that out for yourself over on Spotify. While you’re at it, support the artist over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.