This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For many of us, hearing someone tell us to have a "Happy New Year" is a blessing, because that means we won't have to listen to Christmas music for another 11 months. (Or, at some local retailers and malls, just 10 months.)But every so often, we hear a catchy new holiday song, or a different twist on a traditional classic that reminds us that gifts often come in the smallest ways.Once again, Tribune arts and entertainment writers took it upon themselves to review the high-profile holiday albums released this year.In the process, we relearned a few things:1. Sometimes, big names singers don't do justice to some of the most beautiful music ever written.2. Sometimes, smaller acts can inspire us to actually play their holiday albums on Christmas Eve.3. And, then there's the lesson of Justin Bieber, who pleasantly surprised us.To read the reviews of more than 40 albums, go to: