On May 30th, Canadian folk rock band Foxwarren released their sophomore album, 2. The album continues to explore Foxwarren's special brand of surreal folk rock. Plucking guitars, soulful lyrics, thumping bass, and a variety of folk instruments decorate this record, both expanding and improving upon the sound the band honed with their self-titled debut album.
Foxwarren's first album dropped in May 2018. The record gained a cult following thanks to its playful mix of folk and alternative rock. Foxwarren's warm reception launched the band into public consciousness, the success snowballing into world tours and a dedicated fan base that has been patiently waiting for a new album.
It took about seven years, but we've finally gotten that new album with 2. It's everything we've been waiting for and more. The sophomore album is the true measure of a band's skill; so many have burned bright and faded fast due to the inability to write a decent second record. Foxwarren knocked it out of the park with a record that has satisfied my alt/folk cravings for another few years, but hopefully not seven this time. That being said, one single in particular has stood out to me: “Deadhead.”
This track leans heavier towards the rock than the folk, but you still get a taste of that unique Foxwarren sound. The song is mostly bass and guitar, a winning combination if ever there's been one, a jumping rhythm matched with an invigorating riff that leaves goose bumps on the skin. Pair that with Andy Shauf's haunting lyrics, and you have yourself a chart topper. Pepper in some flute—that's right, a tasty flute section accompanying the chorus—and you've created a masterpiece. I can't give the song a glowing enough review; it's one of the best new tracks of 2025. Despite that, the song itself isn't what initially captured my attention. That was the work of “Deadhead's" music video.
It's an old reliable tactic to make a weird music video for your new song. Take “Kids” by MGMT, for example. The song is a classic, but if you've seen the music video, which consists of monstrous creatures terrifying a small child, that's probably what made the song stick in your head. “Deadhead” has taken the same approach, featuring a strange music video that stays with you. The video consists of puppets dancing and fighting against a landscape that appears to be Europe in the Dark Ages. One puppet in particular bops his way through the wilds looking for a woman and slaughtering anyone that gets in his way, all while a cherub wails on its flute. This is made all the stranger by the puppets themselves. The bottom half of the puppets are real people, allowing them to dance their choreographed moves. The top half of the puppets are marionettes. Distorted approximations of the human form with hate in their hearts and soulless dead eyes in their plaster sockets. Groovy.
This song edges on the psychedelic with its pure absurdity. The contrast of whatever is going on in the music video, the unique music, and moving lyrics make for something not unlike an afternoon with a handful of melmac mushrooms. These kinds of art-piece songs are seeing a revival thanks to bands like Babe Rainbow and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. If Foxwarren can keep matching these Australian titans song for song, then they may just have a future as one of the greats of psychedelic rock.
“Deadhead” is a criminally underrated song that deserves to be tearing its way to the top of the Billboard 200. If you haven't heard it, it's time to change that, and while you're at it, take the time to watch the accompanying video. If you like it, you're in luck because 2 and Foxwarren are filled with hits cut from the same cloth. Foxwarren has made a splash with “Deadhead,” and with any luck, their junior album will be a tidal wave. One that may just net them a platinum record.
