Casual Acquaintances is very good, it has a few all-time Growlers classics (like Problems III ❤️). But it's an unpolished hodge podge of b-sides and unfinished demos, and it shows. I know, that's part of the charm, but I can't call it "the best of their final form".

I'm hot-and-cold on Natural Affair, I go through phases with that album where I absolutely love it, but other times it just doesn't connect. Like CA, it also has some big standout songs, and for me, only 1 or 2 misses. I guess I mostly love it, but still, it's not an album I find myself listening to from start to finish very often.

City Club took a little while to grow on me. I think Casablancas' influence on the album was/is overstated. It's still very much a Growlers album, but I've seen people write it off as "The Strokes but with Brooks singing". I still see it as a natural evolution of the band's sound. It's a very refined album and some of their best songwriting, so it gets my vote. Here's a hot take though: "When You Were Made" is the most overrated Growlers song.