Stu Larsen - Resolute (LP)

Stu Larsen’s second full length, Resolute, arrived in July 2017 and it plays like a postcard bundle from a life lived on the road. The Queensland born singer has spent years travelling, sleeping on friends’ couches, and carrying songs between continents. You can hear all that movement in these tracks, not as tour diary name drops, but as little scenes where distance, quiet hope, and the hum of a new place seep into the writing. It follows his 2014 debut Vagabond, and it feels like a step in, closer to the bone, without losing the open skied warmth that drew people to him in the first place.

Larsen works with modest tools. Acoustic guitar, a bit of harmonica, soft percussion, and the occasional piano or strings used sparingly. The result is intimate without shrinking, the sort of record that makes a small room feel bigger. His voice sits right in the middle, unhurried and lightly worn, and the production gives him air to breathe. When he leans into a chorus, he does it with patience, not volume, and the songs are better for it.

“What If” is the natural starting point. It was a single for a reason, a simple idea that keeps unfolding as he turns it over, wondering about other lives, other paths, and the risk of staying put. The guitar part feels like an old friend, the kind of pattern you can’t help but tap out on a knee, and his phrasing gives the lines a conversational tilt. “By The River” is another standout, steadier on its feet, with a melody that creeps up and lingers. There is a clarity to the lyric that matches the arrangement, and the refrain lands with a gentle certainty that earns the album title.

The wider set moves through folk and light pop colours, though everything is handled with restraint. There is no clutter here. If a song needs just voice and six strings, that is what it gets. When a cello or organ appears, it arrives like a companion rather than a decoration. Larsen has always written in that Passenger, Damien Rice, Angus and Julia Stone lane, but he also has a tone that is unmistakably his. He does bittersweet without leaning on gloom, and he writes about travel without making it a brand. These songs would work if they were written from a kitchen table in Brisbane, which is part of why they connect.

Resolute benefits from the life around it. Larsen has talked often about feeling most at home while moving, and that tension colours the record. Love songs arrive with train station goodbyes in their pockets. The quieter pieces find him counting small blessings, a warm cup, a steady voice on the phone, a street that looks different in morning light. It is not heavy, though. There is light in the corners, and the melodies do a lot of lifting. You can hear why these tracks have become fan favourites at his shows, where the crowd fills in harmonies and the choruses stretch just a little longer.

Vinyl suits this album. The pacing invites a Side A, Side B sort of listen, and the production leaves plenty of room for the needle to find its groove. If you are hunting for Stu Larsen vinyl, Resolute is an easy recommendation, the kind of record that pairs nicely with a quiet evening and a tidy pour. You can find Resolute vinyl through local shops, and if you are in a Melbourne record store you might even see it tucked near Passenger. For those browsing from the couch, it is simple enough to buy Stu Larsen records online, and most stores that specialise in vinyl records Australia will carry a few Stu Larsen albums on vinyl alongside similar modern folk.

What keeps me coming back is the way these songs feel lived in without trying to sound important. The melodies stay with you, the words land cleanly, and the performances never rush. There is confidence here, though it shows up in small choices. A held note. A pause before a chorus. The hush of a room captured with care. Resolute does not try to reinvent anything and it does not need to. It reminds you that a good song, played honestly, still works. That might not scream for attention on a crowded release week, but give it your time and it answers back.