The third studio album by Sonic Youth, originally released in May 1986 on SST Records, shows the first signs that the band was ready to transform their no wave past into a greater alternative rock sensibility. Combining alternate guitar tunings with nearly linear songwriting, Sonic Youth proved they could harness their energy into a combustible engine. The multititled closer, 'Expressway to Yr. Skull' (or 'Madonna, Sean, and Me'), is pure apocalyptic beauty, while 'Shadow of a Doubt' succeeds by being more subdued and suggestive.