New York City's Mike Errico has built his name on the strength of four full-length releases, national tours and notable TV and film scores. Modern rock guitars meet skyscraping melodies in “How it Ends,” otherworldly lap steel lines marry the edge-of-the-bed intimacy of “Packing My Bags,” and a powerful rhythm section propels classic Errico soul-searching in “OK to Go” and “Run,” daring the listener to match the emotional stakes.

His independent spirit, combined with observations on the sta...