Americana Highways - John Apice - May 18, 2026
While this music isn’t going to raise eyebrows like Randy Newman’s “Short People,” the charm lies in Massachusetts’ Neale Eckstein’s ability to set music to a nostalgic scenario as he does on “Always Been Older Than Me.” Neale has always had an attractive balladeer storyteller voice. He explores, through his latest set of songs, a long, successful marriage, a family displaced by wildfire, a reassuring hand, a tribute to the late Kris Kristofferson, people chased by different dreams & what a grieving father builds. No fluff. Not your run-of-the-mill R&R set but penetrating tales.
There are plenty of supporting musicians on these songs, but the sound is rather spare. There are no bombastic take-offs into solo territory; it’s a well-constructed song & performance. The sound is full & varied, which keeps the compositions moving. “Still We Build Our Dreams” follows the basic folk-singer recipe, but it’s a solid story & because Neale’s voice is pure & sincere & doesn’t come across as sympathetic or as a preacher. He’s a narrator.
There are 11 tunes to Build Our Dreams (Drops May 22/Independent/42:40) produced by Neale (vocals/guitar/acoustic guitar/Gryphon/shaker/dobro/organ). Surprisingly, the one tune I thought would be a blemish turns out to be a jewel. The cover of Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is beautifully rendered by Neale, with the pensive tone of Sophie Buskin adds color. A wonderful vocal combination.
Neale goes from the lovely “Keep Your Christmas In Your Heart,” a Christmas song that isn’t sappy, silly, or novelty-driven, to a slick mid-tempo rocker, “Everyone Was Watching.” Again, a bit nostalgic but always with charm & allure. Buddy Holly himself could have sung this.
The video of “If You Could See Me” is more of a pop-oriented arrangement with a full band, whereas the version on the LP is spare, with only Neale & Ben Trigg’s cello. It’s quite a contrast. I prefer the video version. It doesn’t diminish the album version; it’s just that the video version is more exciting.
Neale is a reliable, good storyteller with a fine repertoire.
Highlights – “Always Been Older Than Me,” “Still We Build Our Dreams,” “Empty Frame On a Wall,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Keep Your Christmas In Your Heart,” & “Everyone Was Watching.”
Musicians – Pedro Silveira (mandolin/electric guitar), Matt Nakoa (electric guitars), Nikos Mavridis (violin/viola), Keris Choi (violins), Bruno Migliari & Andre Vasconcellos (bass), Steve Lewis (pedal steel), Eric Schwartz (organ/piano/bass), Josue Gonzalez (piano), Rene Pfister (piano), Bruno Werner, Chris Powers & Jagoda (drums/bells/percussion), Ben Trigg (cello) & the Eckstein family choir (carolers).
Review by Jack Mesenbourg - May 22, 2026
This is a new artist for me and thanks to Adam Dawson at Broken Jukebox Media for giving me the opportunity to preview this album which will officially drop today. After doing a deep dive through the tracks on this new release I went back and caught up on some other music from Eckstein. I found 2014’s Click which features a number of the talented musicians that also appear on Build Our Dreams. The songs on that album are written or co-written by Eckstein and performed by the various artists. A couple favorites there are “Stormchaser” (Matt Nakoa) and “Devil’s Gate” (Jeremiah Birnbaum). I also enjoyed “January Thaw” off 2024’s Never Too Late.
This new LP kicks off with “Always Been Older Than Me” which has one of those cool mandolin riffs at the beginning and the song then quickly settles into a light, swaying rhythm. The instrumentation is fairly sparse which leaves plenty of room for the strong vocal as he tells a story about not quite fitting into the world. “All The Little Things” is soft and mellow with a nice little guitar melody playing just slightly in the background. The arrangement is just right to convey the “long time love” theme of this track, rising up slightly like one of those heart-swelling moments you get if you are lucky enough. Things get a little interesting with the addition of the cello on “Still We Build Our Dreams” as it adds some nice tension which fits the mood of this song.
“Make It Through Bad Times” is next, followed by “Empty Frame on the Wall.” Even though a couple of the selections on this album have the “spoken poem” feel to them, this is the one that really hits that mark for me. The lyrics are so descriptive and build this small world you can feel yourself stepping into and experiencing. I really like the multiple violins here and the bass fills out the mood well. A fairly straightforward cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is then followed by “I Just Want to Talk to You” which is centered on a peaceful piano vibe and a plaintive vocal. It left me with a feeling of resigned sadness.
The next track, “Keep Christmas in Your Heart,” fits in as a fairly traditional style holiday number, introspective and nostalgic. The storytelling ability of Eckstein lifts this one up though and it could easily become a regular on your December playlist. That song is followed by “Everyone Was Watching” and it is my favorite on the album. It starts off with a slow country groove but quickly picks up some energy and adds in some electric guitar for a nice change of pace. The arrangement here is very well done and includes some light but perfectly played percussion that makes this a danceable number. “If You Could See Me” steps down the tempo as it opens on a somber cello and light guitar melody that are the foundation of this thoughtful and reflective tune. The album closes on “Mr. Ashe” which hit me as a traveling song in just the first few seconds of play…something about that guitar tone and those beginning notes. It is a solid finish for Build Our Dreams.
Overall this is an album with strong songwriting and a definite storytelling focus as each selection really paints a vivid picture. Some are sad, some thoughtful, some a little upbeat…it is a good combination and the large group of musicians that collaborated do an excellent job of bringing these stories to life.
Review by Ryan Emmert on World Music Central
Singer-songwriter Neale Eckstein’s “Build Our Dreams” presents a series of character-driven stories based on personal memories, real-life events, and observations of everyday resilience.
Produced and mixed at Eckstein’s Fox Run Studio, we find stories of love, loss, remembrance, and renewal. Its captivating subjects include a family displaced by wildfire, a runaway boy guided home by strangers, a woman who reconnects with a long-abandoned passion, and a life partnership viewed through four decades of shared experiences. The project also features a rendition of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” honoring a songwriter Eckstein met several times during his work as a photographer.
The album opens with “Always Been Older Than Me,” a reflective look at feeling out of step with one’s generation. Eckstein co-wrote the song with Dan Navarro during the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where Navarro performed it later the same day.
Next, “All the Little Things” celebrates 42 years of marriage through a collection of personal memories and everyday moments. Meanwhile, the title track, “Still We Build Our Dreams,” follows a family awaiting news after a devastating wildfire evacuation. Eckstein and Matt Watroba wrote the song in response to the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta (Canada), which destroyed more than 2,400 homes and ultimately burned over 1.5 million acres.
“Made It Through Bad Times Before” offers reassurance amid uncertainty, while “Empty Frame on a Wall” tells the story of a cleaning woman who rediscovers her love of painting.
Eckstein’s interpretation of “Help Me Make It Through the Night” features guest vocals from Sophie Buskin. In contrast, “I Just Want to Talk to You” focuses on a chance connection between two strangers that ends abruptly after a life-altering phone call.
Elsewhere, “Keep Christmas in Your Heart” recalls a family holiday disrupted by an accident before finding perspective through a child’s words. “Everyone Was Watching” revisits a formative high school dance and the confidence it inspired.
The final stretch of the album continues its focus on human connection. “If You Could See Me” follows two people separated by time and distance who finally reconnect, while “Mr. Ashe” closes the collection with the story of a grieving father who dedicates his life to helping runaway children find their way home.
Musicians: Neale Eckstein on vocals, guitars, dobro, gryphon, organ, shaker; Bruno Migliari on bass; Jagoda on drums, bells; Pedro Silveira on electric guitar, mandolin; Steve Lewis on pedal steel; Eric Schwartz on organ, piano, bass; André Vasconcellos on bass; Bruno Werner on drums; Nikos Mavridis on violin, violins, viola; Ben Trigg — cello; Keris Choi on violins; Rene Pfister on violins, piano; Josué González on piano; Sophie Buskin on harmonies; Matt Nakoa on electric guitars; Chris Powers on drums, percussion; Eckstein Family Choir — choir vocals (carolers).