After self-releasing her third album The Graduate, Pallot returned to a major label, Geffen Records, for the release of Year of the Wolf.

On whether or not there was a thematic link between that and her anti-war song "Everybody's Gone to War", she said that "on a personal level, I feel less angry, more sad.

"[4] The lead single "Put Your Hands Up" was originally written for Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite.

Minogue's album did include a track with the title "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)" (written by Starsmith and Nervo), but this has no connection to the Pallot song.

The album received generally positive reviews from fans and critics alike, many complimenting the more mature sound and direction.