On their first album in nearly a decade, all Coldcut wants to do is hold up a mirror. Soundmirrors finds the duo of Matt Black and Jonathan More stepping to the side while guest rappers, singers, and poets lead the songs and deliver the message. “Somewhere on Earth/Little kids teach themselves how to make a whistling sound/To imitate bombs dropping,” mutters Andrew Broder (a.k.a. Fog). Soweto Kinch bears witness to Western governments acting like mafia dons while delivering relief to developing countries on the brilliant “Aid Dealer,” and Saul Williams writes a touching letter to “Mr. Nichols,” a Faust-like character who sells his soul to Wall Street. But given that Coldcut is part of breakbeat‘s vanguard, their production here-which ranges from dirty electro to cinematic orchestration and bhangra-hop-seems a bit flat. Their righteous message is well put, but could be delivered with a bit more spark.