The Takes ‘Uprooting Roses’ is for the Hopeless Romantics
“‘Cause you’re my reason/ You’re my muse/ You’re my sun, and my shade too.” If you’ve ever liked a social media post that included the phrase “bring back men who yearn,” this is the band for you. Fresh off touring with The Runarounds as an opener for their THE MINIVAN TOUR, The Takes have finally released their latest EP titled Uprooting Roses. With The Takes, raw vocals pour out organic lyrical themes supported by an indie folk-rock backdrop that caves in as blues and country influences seep through the cracks of its Pacific Northwest home.
The EP opens with its second single “Desert Sun,” a vintage, romantic track surrounded by a smoky atmosphere. In juxtaposition with the dry imagery brought out by the title, the song has a deep earthy quality to it, similar to the wetness of nature after a rainstorm: “You’re my lover when I act right/ You’re my sun when it don’t shine/ Yea, ‘cause you’re my blue/ A kind of lover for a lifetime.”
“Never Not Going Alone” immediately shifts the tone of the EP; If “Desert Sun” was damp love with lingering campfire smoke, “Never Not Going Alone” is bright loss with seaside influenced guitar: “Baby, you told me you were ready to try/ Were you ever gonna, ever gonna make it right.” While the majority of the song begs for answers, the end transitions into a surrender: “Don’t run away/ Come home to me/ Come home to me/ You’re all I want/ You’re all I need/ Come home to me.”
“Eleanor,” the first single released off of this EP, is the epitome of yearning: “There’s something about her way/ And something about her smile/ That keeps an honest man like me from running wild.” While the track itself is slightly slower in nature, it doesn’t come close to affecting the hold these lyrics have on your attention. The song in its entirety is a beautifully soft declaration of love that leaves you breathlessly hopeful and dazed from affection: “You done me in, I’m dizzy, and you caught me spinning around/ Well, damn, I really love you, Eleanor.”
That softer, slower kind of expression is a prevalent essence continued throughout this project and comes to its peak with “Another Kind Of Lover.” The soft glare of sadness flows out from within: “I only wanna dance you through the day/ Before I give you up, and start to leave/ ‘Cause we’re holding out/ And I’m hanging in/ Well, find another kind of lover to do you in.” The Takes’ ability to evoke deep emotion and create such a comprehensive heartbreak song is a devastatingly beautiful talent to have: “How I’m moving fast/ To make you disappear/ ‘Cause I just want this old sky to clear.”
“Ain’t Love” twists this EP a step further, creating something bigger and inherently anthemic through both its production and lyrics: “This ain’t love/ This ain’t a lie/ This ain’t all I had in mind/ This ain’t love, no, anymore.” Introspection turns into confrontation, it sets you free.
There’s something so addictive about the organic quality found throughout The Takes’ work. While most of it is driven by narrative, it’s naturalistic in the way that it looks at and represents relationships and love. The Takes’ ability to weave nature into their music even when they’re not outright singing about it is truly a gift. It’s clear they feel most at home outdoors.
The Takes are slated to play a few festivals this summer including Music City Summer Fest, Music In The Mountains, Calgary Stampede 2026, and Pickathon 2026.
Find upcoming show dates here and listen to Uprooting Roses below.
