Unlike most divas, there is a human quality to her voice, as she's singing to the song, not singing to her voice." He compared it to Mariah Carey's debut album, but criticised the old-fashioned sound. Popjustice's review was brief, summing up that "["Spirit"] has four absolutely blinding tracks on it, three far better than average tracks on it, and some others which are quite good. There are no totally chronic songs on "Spirit" apart from 'A Moment Like This'." "The Boston Globe"s Sarah Rodman praised Lewis's ability to make unremarkable songs sound impressive, saying "The tracks are impeccably manicured, super-tuneful, and offer lyrics about the various agonies and ecstasies of love that are unremarkable in and of themselves but reach nuclear-threat levels of desperation thanks to Lewis's voice." In the mixed reviews critics generally praised Lewis's voice but criticised the music. Lyndsey Winship from BBC Music complimented Lewis's vocal ability but perceived a lack of "hooks, innovation and personality". On Lewis's vocals Robert Christgau commented "The subtle flutter of her finest melismatics could give an open-minded person goose bumps. Her coarser melismatics, however, are the usual showoff BS and probably also a commercial prerequisite, like not having a harelip." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised Lewis's voice but criticised the mixture of styles within the album. "The New York Times"s Nate Chinen felt the album did not live up to the standards of lead single "Bleeding Love", but was successful in showcasing Lewis's vocal capabilities. Caroline Sullivan of "The Guardian" was disappointed, saying "[Lewis] has clearly invested every scrap of energy into these songs [...] but being able to belt 'em out is only half the story, and if there's a personality here, it's well hidden." Victoria Segal of "The Times" praised Lewis's voice, but criticised the music, saying "[Lewis] has a powerful voice but on "Spirit" it seems to have paralysed her collaborators creatively. Instead of taking the opportunity to craft it into new and exciting shapes, it has been stuck in a big spotlit display case, revolving slowly and rather boringly on a velvet cushion of overstuffed balladry." She concluded by saying, "If Lewis is looking for the greatest love of all – public adoration – she will have to do better than this." At the 2008 BRIT Awards Lewis was nominated for four awards, including British Female Solo Act, British Breakthrough Act and British Album for "Spirit", and was the favourite to win most awards, however she walked away empty handed.