Guitarists Wes Willis and Kevin Huguley formed
Rush of Fools at Auburn University in 2005 with a lineup that eventually included guitar/keyboard player J.D. Frazier, drummer Jamie Sharpe and bass guitarist/vocalist Jacob Chesnut -- all Alabama natives. The band gained quick notoriety despite constant references to their own humility and imperfection (their name, for one). Willis made the comment on
ROF's website that, "I personally feel that we're not some extravagant band with incredibly, extra-ordinary talents." Their debut album was recorded with the help of studio musicians while two of the bandmembers finished high school. The appeal of the 'Bama boys was a shimmering combination of
Chris Tomlin and
Building 429 with sprinklings of
By the Tree and
Starfield. The one drawback to this sound was that, by 2007, it had dominated Christian radio waves for a number of years and showed a distinct lack of innovation. This hardly seemed a detriment to
ROF, however. Lead single "Undo" reached number one on multiple radio charts, and the record became the number one Christian album on digital charts. A palette of worshipful, well-crafted songs and brilliant production lifted this CD to greater heights than perhaps their name suggests. ~ Jared Johnson