Weezer just grows on a listener. It can’t help but do anything else.

Released this week, the band’s fourth album, “Maladroit,” is the latest stop on a wild musical journey for Weezer. The band, made up of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals and guitar), Brian Bell (vocals and guitar), Pat Wilson (drums) and new addition Scott Shriner (bass), has managed to attain a rare double feat – they’ve become one of the most popular rock bands in the world and still are the critical darlings of the music press.

In 1994, Weezer released its self-titled debut (otherwise known as the Blue Album), which was a jovial rock album infected with a little punk and a lot of pop. With radio and MTV airplay for “Buddy Holly” and “Undone: The Sweater Song,” the band was popular – but at first glance – seemed too cutesy to endure.

But with repeated listens of the Blue Album, the anguish and depth behind the happy little tunes – particularly “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here” and “Say It Ain’t So” – became apparent, proving first impressions are often foolish.

Fast forward to 1996: Weezer releases “Pinkerton,” a grand sophomore effort that still ranks as the band’s best. The album showcased a more mature Weezer, both in music and subject matter, with Cuomo taking over exclusive songwriting duties. While the album still rocked, “Tired of Sex,” “Across the Sea” and “Falling for You” were filled with the pain and fear of failed relationships and unrequited love.

But the music climate that had warmly embraced Weezer in 1994 had cooled two years later, and most fans didn’t take to the band’s more serious direction. The album didn’t find an audience – for a while.

After a couple years in hiatus, the band toured and discovered it had somehow culled a new audience. Weezer had grown on geeks (always a powerful audience) who had connected with Cuomo’s tortured tales of college life from “Pinkerton,” while jaded rockers remembered the band’s happy-go-lucky debut. Out of nowhere, Weezer had a huge buzz.

So, in 2001, when the band released its third album (this one also known as the Green Album), expectations were high. But five years after its previous recording, Weezer decided to play it cautious. While the Green Album could qualify as a success – it sold well and featured some brilliant, catchy tunes (“Crab” and “Glorious Day,” in particular) – it was a half-step backward from the complicated Weezer back to the cute Weezer.

However, a year later and wiser, Weezer uses “Maladroit” to bridge that gap. “Maladroit” treads in waters that the Green Album, for whatever reason, couldn’t. The new release sways in different directions – from soft and melancholy (“Burdnt Jamb,” “Death and Destruction”) to light and sweet (“Slave,” “December”) to explosive and fierce (“Love Explosion,” “American Gigolo”) to merry and bouncy (“Possibilities,” “Keep Fishin'”) – but remains focused and inspired the entire way through.

That the band’s fans can now read Cuomo’s lyrics in the liner notes is not the only long-held Weezer tradition that has been broken by “Maladroit.” The magic number for the first three Weezer records was 10 – the number of songs on each one. “Maladroit” dares to add three more.

Of the album’s 13 songs, the best is “Slob,” a rousing track that reestablishes some themes central to “Pinkerton” – the evolution from being a kid who listens to rock ‘n’ roll into an adult expected to have responsibilities and successful relationships.

“Dope Nose,” which has received steady radio airplay for the past month, is a catchy, carefree jam. But it’s a bit too sugary for its own good, although it gets points for some creative lyricism, even if said lyrics don’t make a whole lot of sense. “Take Control” and “Space Rock” don’t have a lot of lyrical depth, either. The words are clever, but aren’t very insightful.

A few flaws here and there aside, “Maladroit” is another strong album from a band seemingly incapable of putting out anything else. Although the music is still fun, Weezer has moved on from its wacky colored backgrounds and taken a chance by delving once again into serious fare. Good things are ahead as the band continues to grow on rock listeners.