The Ghost of Tom Joad

Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad" remains one of his most underrated efforts, with its uncompromising, hard-luck tales of drifters and desperados, directly inspired by John Steinbeck's magnum opus "The Grapes of Wrath". Not as commercially lauded as any of Springsteen's more approachable works, "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is nevertheless an accurate account of an economically devastated America, and aptly criticises a system that has let numerous immigrants and homeless denizens slip through the cracks. Check out the moody black-and-white promo here, with its hard-hitting images of a side of America rarely displayed in the mainstream media.

False Flags

A mostly unknown fan favourite from trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack that mercilessly excoriates the chaotic present state of the world, "False Flags" is a nervy, tense slice of urban melancholia that is matched by an equally brilliant video clip, showing a rioter in action. Check out the harrowing promo here, and marvel at its use of slow-motion cinema-verite dynamics.

You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart

A powerful, epiphanic elegy that displays Sinead O'Connor's distinctive vocals perfectly, "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart" is a perfectly poised ballad originally found on the soundtrack of Neil Jordan's political drama "In the Name of the Father". Do keep an ear out for Maurice Seezer's carefully shaded piano work. Check out the intensely cinematic video clip here.