Toad the Wet Sprocket's melodic rock served as something of a salve for Generation X's angst. Formed in 1986, the Santa Barbara band broke through in 1991 with their third album, Fear, a mandolin-enriched set led by pop-rock anthems like "All I Want" and the smooth acoustic-and-accordion roll of "Walk On the Ocean." Sincerity is at the core of their songs, even at their grungiest ("Fall Down") and most cynical ("Something's Always Wrong"), a trait that continued to shine through when they returned—after over a decade and a half—with 2013's refined set of mellow jangle pop, New Constellation.