Over a year and a half since their last release, the Detroit-based rock and roll band Mac Saturn took the time before releasing their latest single, “Takes Time,” on Oct. 10. Encompassing the groovy funk of their January 2024 album Hard to Sell, “Takes Time” is a more-than-welcome sight of the band’s awaited return.

“Takes Time” begins with a syncopated drumbeat, an instrumental that gradually builds with the addition of a driving guitar riff and supporting synths. Lead singer Carson Macc’s voice blends in as the final factor, and his 70’s rock and roll-esque crooning vocals are a staple in Mac Saturn’s sound. By the time the chorus hits in “Takes Time,” Mac Saturn expands into its full glory. Harmonized layered vocals back Macc’s lead as the guitar and drums swell, and the lyrics, “It takes time to make time / and be what you want to be,” hit as an apt reminder of the latest struggles that the band prevailed through.

The single carries through to an outro that could easily be off of a lovechild album by Fleetwood Mac and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Running a second under four minutes, “Takes Time” doesn’t punch above its weight but rather is an unsurprisingly expectant release from Mac Saturn. With hints of taking a slightly (and very slightly) new direction, Mac Saturn keeps it real with what it does best: modern reincarnations of decades-old genres. “Takes Time” is not a repetitive addition to their discography but instead a expansion of what already works beyond well.

After returning to the music scene as a five-piece, Mac Saturn currently consists of Carson Macc on vocals, Nick Barone and Mike Moody on guitars, Ian Lukas on bass, and Angelo Coppola on drums. This musical brotherhood proved through this single that the band’s time away from releasing music didn’t mean that they weren’t creating—and it’s even clearer that this is only the beginning of what they have to say. In this way, “Takes Time” is not only a comeback statement but also a precedent for what music is to follow: Mac Saturn is back and better than ever.

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Image taken from Spotify