** 1/2 Bette Midler, “Bette,” Warner Bros.

Nostalgia’s always been the Divine Miss M’s strong suit on records, from “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” to last year’s “Bathhouse Betty,” a nod to her early days entertaining New York’s gay underground. And the best tracks on this new album are redolent of ‘60s pop. Producer Don Was evokes the airy sophistication of Burt Bacharach, not just on actual vintage selections “That’s How Heartaches Are Made” and “Just My Imagination,” but also in her new sitcom theme “Nobody Else but You,” which veers toward Laura Nyro-ish elation.

Midler also acquits herself well on “God Give Me Strength,” a ‘90s entry actually written by Bacharach, though she can’t muster the world-weariness co-writer Elvis Costello brought to the original version. And Kirsty MacColl’s sassy, saucy, salsa-inflected “In These Shoes”--an anthem for the modern woman to whom independence doesn’t mean a lack of style--could have been written for Midler. Even as these recall other artists, they’re Bette through and through.

The only problems are where she seems to be cast too much in the mold of other artists. “Bless You Child” is a neo-disco trifle a la Cher’s “Believe.” And Beth Nielsen Chapman’s “Color of Roses” is sappy and Streisand-esque. But Midler remains a solid stylist in as good a voice as ever.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.