I have limited knowledge on ACLU Benefit. I know his real name is Noah and retired the name ACLU Benefit. He recently released an EP under his new name, Request Freebird, but I’ve been primarily listening to his 2013 album, Love & Fame. At the time of writing this I have not seen him live. He has a real freak vibe that people are drawn to. You can tell his songs mean a lot too many people. There has been a tribute show to him and on his bandcamp he has a full album of other artist covering his songs, featuring the likes of IAN and Frankie Cosmos. The music makes me want to have a very cleansing cry. To say his lyrics are beautiful would be an understatement. He knows how sad life is but has made a blissful peace with the sadness. I met someone who said that they just never got into music. I literally cannot comprehend that. Music is everything, ACLU Benefit is the type music that proves it. He has a country drawl so real that nothing fake could be uttered by it. His simple guitar makes the music feel like poetry. It is folk and it is simple. It makes me feel things I’ve never felt before by taking things I think and making them ache. I wonder if he is still playing ACLU songs live, but I guess if you have like 5 albums you probably don’t worry about re-playing songs. Sometimes melancholy music is what you need to get you through your melancholy days.
EDIT SINCE THIS WAS WRITTEN: I have since met Noah and seen Request Freebird and it was awesome. It sounds just like the recordings live and he stilled play all new and old ACLU Benefit songs. He was funny and cool and I almost cried during the set due to pure joy and the songs. I'd still really like to interview him sometime.
