No-frills approach boosts Martin Nievera’s acoustic set

NIEVERA. “Jamming”-inspired, no-frills approach.

If you’re used to watching Martin Nievera on TV struggle with notes that are already too high for him, his latest album, “My Acoustic,” will enable you to see—and hear—him in a different light. His renditions in the compilation recall the vocal magnificence and unforced allure of his early hits, like “The Best Gift,” “Meldy (Make A Smile)” and “Love for Real.”

The album gathers the best tracks from his past albums, “Milestones,” “Awit ng Puso,” “Himig ng Damdamin,” “Chasing Time” and “Mga Awit at Damdamin.”

It’s refreshing to hear Martin sing “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana” and “Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin” without straining, with just strings and a few other instruments exquisitely backing him up.

The requisite “birit” can be heard toward the end of his remake of Regine Velasquez’s “Dadalhin”—but, that’s only because the love song requires some urgent bravado in order to peak. Contrarily, the shrillness also becomes anticlimactic in Nievera’s cover of Wency Cornejo’s “Habang May Buhay.”

This “jamming”-inspired, no-frills approach works exceedingly well in Martin’s versions of Sharon Cuneta’s “Now That You’re Gone,” the Apo’s “When I Met You,” Ogie Alcasid’s “Kailangan Kita” and in his exuberant take on Kuh Ledesma’s “I Think I’m In Love.” Now that’s great singing without the disposably gratuitous gimmicks!