In recent years, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian has become an arbiter of original, quirky, but damn good music. And he’s scored, yet, again, with the neo-new wave outfit Kittens for Christian. Formed in Los Angeles in 1991, the trio can be best described as a mélange of, among other artists, The Pixies, Talking Heads, Birthday Party, Echo and The Bunnymen, and Sonic Youth. But they bring to the table their own eclectic hybridization of 1980s goth nihilism and present-day aesthetics.

This CD offers a snippet -- three songs – of what to expect from their third and latest album, Privilege of Your Company, which is in stores now on Tankian’s Serjical Strike Records and it is, indeed, a wild ride through the land of the slightly off-kilter.

The first track is the neurotic “Grubby Hands”. This is the kind of song you would expect to hear in the background of a dream involving a limousine-chauffered drive to a carnival de bizarro in your underwear in the middle of the night. The contrast between the droned-out guitar, minimalist, Talking Heads-reminiscent verses and the frenetic screaming during the choruses, masks the song’s true intensity. But by its end, it all becomes unhinged and you’re left exposed, frazzled and peeing in your underwear.

Next up is “Had A Plan”--a more rock-guitar-drenched song than “Grubby Hands”, but still full of gloomy, synth-pop, Cure-like undertones. If nothing else deters you from self-strangulation, Serj Tankian will be your saving grace. Kudos to him for his vocal contribution. Everything about his vocals: the rhythm, the cadence, the destitution, embodies what this song is and accentuates it’s already pyrrhonist nature. Yet, the flecks of wistful melody that he interjects, every so often, add hope, ultimately making the song listenable without conjuring thoughts of suicide.

The last offering on this wonderfully, disconsolate sampler is the, erm, ‘love song’ “Run To The Corner”. It’s not the least bit cheerless, but it’s not without a touch of dark eccentricity. Abrasive riffs and a chewy bass-line are used as a backdrop for singer Hiram Fletie’s skittish vocals, through most of the song. When Tankian comes on with the quirky synth fills and monologues, things take a turn for the strange, but it really piques your interest.

If this sampler is any indication of what to expect on Privilege of Your Company, then who ever buys it should be in for one wild ride. It’s not for everyone, but if you’ve ever been curious about neo-new wave, it’s just as good a CD to start with as any.