This is Not the Way Home is the second studio album by Australian indie rock band The Cruel Sea.

[2] With the release of This is Not the Way Home, The Cruel Sea embarked on a European tour supporting Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

[3] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993, the album earned the band a nomination for Best Group.

The music ranged from funky Louisiana swamp blues to sweet soul, with Perkins' laconic vocals recalling the spirit of Captain Beefheart, Tony Joe White and John Lee Hooker in the process.

To the shimmering guitar melodies of "This is Not the Way Home", Perkins adds a visceral element - lines about shedding blood and skin, throwing up, and grunting, groaning, his guts as well as his emotions laid bare.