If you’ve logged on to iTunes anytime during the past week, you may have noticed that about a dozen or so new albums have been released just in time for the Christmas season. Because we here at tableau are all about accommodating you — the reader — we’ve decided to give a rundown on all the highs and lows of these new albums to help guide you through the selection process.

Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster — Lady Gaga caps off her magical year with an eight-song album that features the trademark big synthesizers for which she’s known, while also pushing things in a new direction. Standout ballad, “Speechless,” finds the Lady stripped back and vulnerable, while “Teeth” combines bells, hand-claps, a bluesy beat and an incessant chant of “Show me your teeth!” The real revelation, however, is the Béyoncé-featuring “Telephone,” which may give “Poker Face” a run for its money.

Shakira, She Wolf — Following its inventive lead single, Shakira’s new album finds the Colombian wonder amid a number of Neptunes productions that all pack a sizable dance floor punch. Nothing else quite matches the single, but songs like “Mon Amour,” “Men In This Town” and “Spy” showcase Shakira at her quirky best.

Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment — Sorry, Idol fans, but after the rollicking opening track — “Music Again,” which plays as homage to 1970s camp rock and was co-written by Justin Hawkins (from The Darkness — remember them?) — there’s little here to hear. The boy can sing, but a little cohesiveness never hurt anyone.

50 Cent, Before I Self Destruct — As the decade fades away, we’ll take a guess and say “so will Fiddy.” It’s not that the man isn’t talented. There’s no denying his rapping ability. But four albums down the line, Mr. Cent seems stuck in the same rut where he became famous. The production — mostly courtesy of Dr. Dre — is still top-notch, but his relevancy seems to have evaporated.

Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream — We expect that anyone who will buy this album knows exactly what they’re in store for. In the case that there are people on the fence, we suggest you YouTube any performance of Boyle and then imagine what it would sound like on an album. Voila!

Kris Allen, Kris Allen — Readers, are you beginning to sense a reality television theme among this holiday season’s album releases? The current American Idol titleholder delivers a competent and laidback album that will slide in quite nicely next to your John Mayer and Jason Mraz playlists. There’s nothing from left field here, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Timbaland, Shock Value II — The super-producer brings in the likes of Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Keri Hilson and Drake, but nothing ever quite adds up. The exception to the rule is lead single, “Morning After Dark,” which features Nelly Furtado and French rapper SoShy, and showcases Timbaland’s best beat since “The Way I Are.”