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.

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this change for each song – the complete list:   Neale Eckstein (vocals, guitar, dobro), Bruno Milgliari (bass), Jagoda (drums), Pedro Silveria (electric guitar), Steve Lewis (pedal steel), Eric Schwartz (organ), André Vasconcellos (bass), Bruno Werner (drums), Nikos Mavridis (violin, viola), Ben Trigg (cello), Keris Choi (violins), Rene Pfister (violins), Josué González (piano), Sophie Buskin (harmonies), Matt Nakoa (electric guitars), Chris Powers (drums, percussion) and the Eckstein family choir.  

You can purchase this on his Bandcamp page 

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://nealeeckstein.com

https://nealeeckstein.bandcamp.com/album/build-our-dreams

Just a few ideas if you have the time:  purchase music when you can as streaming does not pay much even times a thousand, support and get to know your local community, live well and be a good neighbor 🙂