Former Pavement man Stephen Malkmus is nearing completion on new material with his current band, The Jicks.

Malkmus is working on the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2005's Face The Truth LP. It's expected that the new album will be released in 2008, through Matador in the US and probably Domino in the UK.

Malkmus posted an update on his website:

"Basic tracks for the album are committed to tape. Album tracked in Northern Montana - 67.4685% completed. TJ Doherty, fresh from a Donald Fagen session in Kauai, kept an eye on the meters. The bears were just coming out of hibernation; it was easy to stay indoors and focus on the riffage.

"Looks to be done sometime in late June. Apparently the songs are so BIG that Matador is pushing for an early 2008 release. "The world needs preparation, preparation, preparation H!!!!" said one intern at the label."