[2] The album includes collaborations with Tove Lo and Lorde, and was preceded in April 2016 by the RMNZ Gold-certified single, "Free".

[10] In April 2016, the duo opened for British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding for select US dates on her Delirium World Tour.

30 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and has since reached a peak position of 21; it has also been certified Gold by Recorded Music NZ.

"Free" impacted American modern rock (or alternative) radio on 12 April 2016 and serves as the duo's third official single in that territory.

Conscious debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Albums Chart and stayed there for four weeks, becoming their second consecutive chart-topper, after 2014's Evergreen.

[20] Pryor Stroud for PopMatters noted "Broods have concocted a record of marked consistency, one that commands attention from its first wail to its last syllable.

"[25] Writing for Exclaim!, Tim Forster criticised the album's "failure to shake listeners awake and captivate them with memorable moments.