[artist id="2552793"]MGMT[/artist]'s [article id="1601427"]Oracular Spectacular[/article] made them sorta stars when it came out in 2008 (after an earlier digital release). So, when it came time for them to begin work on the follow-up, they did what any self-respecting, much-buzzed-about, globally adored electro-pop duo would: They went to Malibu.

Now, after months of sun and surf, they've finally emerged with a finished product, they're nearly done with a new album, called Congratulations.

That's according to vocalist Andrew VanWyngarden, who told the San Francisco Examiner that he and musical partner Ben Goldwasser have been putting the finishing touches on the album (and doing their fair share of surfing) at a home studio in Malibu. Legendary Spacemen 3 co-founder Pete "Sonic Boom" Kember is helming the sessions, and Royal Trux howler Jennifer Herrema contributes vocals on a track.

Despite being recorded in such sunny climes, the album -- which the Examiner says is due in "early 2010" -- will reportedly be much darker than Oracular, focusing on the band's whirlwind rise to fame and the trials and temptations that came along with it.

"The song 'Congratulations' itself is pretty dark," VanWyngarden told the newspaper. "It's us trying to deal with all the craziness that's been going on since our last album took off. Sometimes it just doesn't feel natural."

VanWyngarden didn't say just when Congratulations will see the light of day, and a spokesperson for MGMT's label, Columbia, told MTV News she had no comment about the new album or the Examiner story. In the meantime, [article id="1623033"]MGMT are up for the Woodie of the Year[/article] at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards, being held on November 18 at New York's Roseland Ballroom and airing on December 4, at 10 p.m. ET on mtvU, MTV, MTV2 and Palladia.