Loma Vista

Loma Vista is the breakthrough sophomore album from Los Angeles-based Family of the Year, released in 2012. While their debut was more experimental, this record solidified their identity as masters of the 'sun-drenched' indie folk sound. The album is most famous for the single 'Hero,' which became a global sleeper hit after its prominent use in Richard Linklater's film Boyhood, perfectly encapsulating the movie's themes of time and growth. Critics from AllMusic and BBC Music noted the band's ability to craft 'unabashedly catchy' songs that remain rooted in folk traditions. The recording is characterized by its lush, communal vocal arrangements and a production style that favors analog warmth over digital coldness. Positioned at the height of the indie-folk revival, Loma Vista distinguished itself through its classic pop songwriting bones, eschewing the more aggressive 'stomp' of peers like Mumford & Sons in favor of a gentler, more melodic approach reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac or The Mamas & the Papas.