Jason Plumb

Coming out at the height of the CanRock renaissance of the early ’90s, the Waltons often toiled in the shadows of more established roots rockers like Blue Rodeo and the Hip. It’s taken leader Jason Plumb a while to crawl out of the that shadow — the Waltons’ last album, 1998’s Empire Hotel was barely a blip on the national radar — but with the current resurgence of Canadian roots music chic, Plumb couldn’t have picked a better time to launch a probably overdue solo career. Backed by members of Starling, and produced by Barenaked Lady Ed Robertson, Under and Over re-establishes Plumb’s simple pop sensibilities, now suitably matured over the decade since Lik My Trakter. The long-standing comparisons to Neil Finn will undoubtedly rear their heads again on songs like “Satellite” and “Wide Open,” but Plumb has grown into a consummate craftsman, and some tasteful guitar playing from Ian LeFeuvre is a perfect complement throughout. A charming return that any fan of roots pop will want to hear.