A stopgap release from the six-piece German prog ensemble after a string of excellent albums, Half Light Souvenirs is interestingly lighter and more whimsical than the group's already quite light and whimsical sound. The Tool-isms and slips into harsher terrain that were so apparent on 2008's Grave Human Genuine are now gone completely making Dark Suns barely metal at all, apart from a heavier riff here or there such as at the start of Her Bed Unmade. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, and Dark Suns are experienced enough at the prog game that writing an EP full of interesting songs is easy for them. Where the EP is weakest is that sometimes this light, whimsical sound can be a little too much so, making it hard to take unless you're very much in the mood for it.

Yet there's no denying that Half Light Souvenirs is a good, interesting listen, full of little touches like the piano outro to Her Bed Unmade and the vaguely Middle-Eastern intro to How We Got Lost that is then left behind as the track continues to fashion a nicely catchy little tune with odd lyrical references to Babylon and lying under trees. Trillianthem continues in a fun Katatonia-meets-Deep Purple style, probably the best track on the album with the shift towards classic rock and better use of piano and keyboards. Tracks can seem a little samey, even with the EP length, and In Reserve could have been cut as it's just a bit too laid-back and languid not to be energy-sapping. Perhaps it comes down to personal taste, but more tracks with heavier riffing like My Sermon would have improved things, ironically being one of the tracks here closest to their older style. In any case, fans of prog should give this excellent band and their extensive, varied discography a listen, and Half Light Souvenirs is a great reminder of their talent.