Retro soulman Aloe Blacc seems to have his sights set on the big time. After co-writing and lending his vocal to EDM producer Avicii's 2013 hit Wake Me Up, Blacc's third solo album sits firmly in poppy, ready-to-chart R&B territory. It's a valiant effort, but not particularly inspiring. The album brims over with perky optimism, with Blacc invoking listeners to "see through the eyes of a child" and "believe in love, the only thing we have that's true". Cynics, beware: Blacc's finger-snapping, radio-friendly mix of soul and folk may grate. Lift Your Spirit aims for feel-good heights, pushed into darker territory only on the sultry Red Velvet Seat and the steady build of Ticking Bomb. Blacc's gravelly, expressive voice sounds terrific throughout, his trills and melodies indebted to Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, but isn't enough to make the album sound particularly exciting.